"The crackdown on the ongoing protest on Rustaveli Avenue continues, with authorities employing their usual illegal and disproportionate force," states the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA).
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According to the organization, evidence suggests violations of standards governing the use of special means, including targeting individuals' faces with pepper spray and combining two special means - water jets and chemical irritants.
The organization states that this practice is highly problematic for several reasons:
- The permissible concentration level of chemical irritants in water is unknown, posing a significant risk to human health.
- When clothing becomes saturated with a chemical irritant, the individual cannot escape its effects.
- Saturated clothing makes it impossible to control the degree and duration of exposure to the chemical irritant. Given that health risks increase with both concentration and duration of exposure, combining water and chemicals violates law enforcement's obligation to minimize harm.
- Mixing chemicals with water jets is explicitly discouraged by the guidelines of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, as it significantly increases the risk of injury, including long-term physical pain.
"On October 21, 2024, the Ministry of Internal Affairs confirmed in a statement that it had been mixing tear gas with water jets during rallies against the Russian law. To justify this practice, the Ministry incorrectly and manipulatively cited the Amnesty International manual. In reality, Amnesty International explicitly states that mixing tear gas or paint with water jets should be prohibited," the human rights organization stated.
The GYLA further highlights that the use of cold water jets, particularly given the low outdoor temperatures, constitutes grounds for inhumane treatment.
GYLA calls on employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to refuse to follow illegal orders and to immediately cease the unlawful dispersal of peaceful demonstrators.
Additionally, the organization urges the Ministry to disclose the specific means it is employing during these operations, citing medical necessity. This transparency would allow medical personnel to respond promptly to those affected.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs began dispersing the ongoing protest in front of the Parliament in Tbilisi at approximately 2:00 AM, using a water cannon against demonstrators gathered on Chichinadze Street. Prior to this, the Ministry issued a statement claiming that the protest had exceeded the norms established by the Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations.
On November 28, the illegitimate Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, announced the decision of the "
Georgian Dream party, according to which, by the end of 2028, Georgia will remove the issue of opening negotiations with the European Union from the agenda. Additionally, the government has refused any budget grants from the European Union.
This decision follows a resolution adopted by the European Parliament, which does not recognize the results of the October 26 parliamentary elections and calls on the EU to decriminalize the leaders of Georgian Dream, including Irakli Kobakhidze and Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Kobakhidze's statement sparked protests in Tbilisi and across the regions.
President Salome Zurabishvili described Georgian Dream as the starting point for a "constitutional coup" and stated that the illegitimate government had declared war on its own people.
