Tbilisi City Court Judge Manuchar Tsatsua found Elvin Karimov, a member of the Coalition for Change, guilty of violating the law and sentenced him to 8 days of administrative detention. Special forces arrested Karimov during a pro-European rally on a street near Rustaveli Avenue on December 3. According to his friends, he was subjected to ethnic insults during a physical confrontation with the officers.
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The Ministry of Internal Affairs accused Elvin Karimov of disobeying a police officer's orders. Tozu Gulmamedli, a witness to the arrest, stated that he requested to testify at the trial, but the judge denied his request.
“Elvin was arrested at night, around 11:40 PM. He was beaten and appears to have bruises around his eyes, as well as similar bruises all over his body. We also have footage of the arrest itself. Nothing significant happened at the time - he was simply taken and put into a car, where about ten police officers severely beat him. They shouted at him, ‘You are an Azerbaijani, go to Azerbaijan and demand your rights from Aliyev, you Tatar…’ I think they gave him 8 days of detention to allow the traces of violence and the bruises to fade before releasing him,” said Tozu Gulmamedli, an activist from Yormughanlo.
According to Gulmamedli, Judge Tsatsua based his decision solely on the testimony of two police officers.
“They brought two officers who gave false testimony, claiming they recognized Elvin and that he was throwing stones and sharp objects at them. In reality, Elvin only had a whistle, nothing else. He did not even resist during his arrest; he calmly complied. Then, several police officers rushed at him and dragged him away.
All of this happened in front of me, yet the judge refused to hear my testimony, accept any motions, or consider a single piece of evidence,” Gulmamedli added. She noted that, so far, Elvin Karimov is the only member of the Azerbaijani community detained during the protests.
Protests have been ongoing on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi since November 28. The demonstrations were sparked by a decision from what is referred to as Georgia's illegitimate government, declaring that negotiations to open talks with the European Union will not be on the agenda until the end of 2028. Additionally, Georgia announced its refusal to accept any budgetary grants from the EU.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs has repeatedly dispersed the protests using water cannons, tear gas, and other special measures. More than 300 protesters have been detained under criminal and administrative charges, with many reportedly subjected to brutal beatings by police forces.
