Representatives of the Public Defender's Office visited the arrested and injured individuals following the crackdown on the November 19 rally in Tbilisi. 14 of them are being held in a temporary detention center, while 2 are receiving treatment in a clinic. 10 out of the 16 individuals reported the use of force by the police.
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"Of the 16 individuals visited by representatives of the Public Defender, 10 are alleged victims of improper treatment or excessive force," the Public Defender's Office stated in a release.
The office also noted that the Special Investigation Service has been provided with publicly available information and footage showing possible instances of excessive force by police and interference in the work of journalists. It called for an immediate investigation to identify those responsible.
"The Office of the Public Defender will monitor the investigation to assess the effectiveness of the response to these human rights violations," the statement added.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that during the ongoing protest on Chavchavadze and Melikishvili Avenues, police detained 16 individuals for administrative offenses, three of whom were later released with a written pledge. They are accused of petty hooliganism and disobedience to police orders.
Lawyers confirmed that the detained citizens had been beaten. Nestan Londaridze, who visited three of the detainees, stated that "excessive force was used against them directly during their arrest."
"There is also an individual who was struck in the face while inside a car, and he bears visible marks of the assault," the lawyer told reporters.
Sergi Baramidze, a cameraman of the Mtavari Arkhi television company, was forcibly arrested on Melikishvili Avenue while performing his professional duties and filming the arrests of citizens. He was released about an hour later with a handwritten pledge.
"They told me, 'You were breaking the rules, obstructing us, stepping off the road.' I don’t know how the cameraman can obstruct them. I’m not an activist, am I? I’m a cameraman, and I was covering the news. Why they decided to arrest me is beyond me. I have a bruised eye. Physically, I don’t know about the rest, but they beat me thoroughly. They stripped me completely - took off my coat and everything. At some point, the camera was no longer with me," said Sergi Baramidze after his release.
Police officers also physically assaulted Mindia Gabadze, a journalist with Publica. Additionally, Mariam Nikuradze, a journalist with OC Media, and Givi Avaliani, a journalist with Netgazeti, were prevented from carrying out their professional duties.
Nika Kvitatiani, a member of the Coalition for Change, was taken to a clinic. According to him, Goga Memanishvili was struck in the face by the deputy head of the Tbilisi Patrol Police.
