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Forcibly arrested, opposition leader on the mend. US urges Georgia to stop brutality

2024-12-05 09:57:33Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

Forcibly arrested, opposition leader on the mend. US urges Georgia to stop

A Georgian opposition leader who was beaten unconscious during police arrest is recovering and is expected to attend a court hearing, his lawyer said Thursday.

Meanwhile, the United States has strongly condemned the use of violence by the ruling party, Georgian Dream, against people protesting against the Government's decision to suspend EU membership talks.

Nika Gvaramia, leader of the Akhali party, part of the Coalition for Change, was arrested by police on Wednesday during raids that authorities carried out at the headquarters of opposition parties in Tbilisi.

Gvaramia was repeatedly punched in the stomach until he lost consciousness and was dragged into a police van.

His lawyer, Dito Sadzaglishvili, said on Thursday that the health condition of the opposition leader is "satisfactory". Sadzaglishvili said that Gvaramia was arrested for "hooliganism and disobeying police orders", while court hearings on his case are expected to be held within 48 hours of his arrest.

Another important member of the Coalition for Change, Gela Khasaia, was also taken from custody during the police raids.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned the Georgian government to stop "oppressive tactics, including arbitrary arrests and physical violence" during mass protests.

"The United States strongly condemns the Georgian Dream's brutal and unjustifiable violence against Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media and opposition figures," Blinken said.

In July, the United States suspended more than $95 million in aid to the Georgian government.

Georgia has been rocked by protests since the ruling party, Georgian Dream, announced last week that it would suspend talks on the country's European Union membership.

Despite the growing protests, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has refused to back down and has threatened to punish political opponents, whom he accuses of the violence that occurred during the protests.

Georgia's ombudsman accused the police of torturing pro-EU protesters. Levan Loseliani, whose role is to protect the rights of citizens, said that he and his officials have met with people who have been "harshly treated" by the police.

Another important member of the Coalition for Change, Gela Khasaia, was also taken from custody during the police raids.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned the Georgian government to stop "oppressive tactics, including arbitrary arrests and physical violence" during mass protests.

"The United States strongly condemns the Georgian Dream's brutal and unjustifiable violence against Georgian citizens, protesters, members of the media and opposition figures," Blinken said.

In July, the United States suspended more than $95 million in aid to the Georgian government.

Georgia has been rocked by protests since the ruling party, Georgian Dream, announced last week that it would suspend talks on the country's European Union membership.

Despite the growing protests, Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has refused to back down and has threatened to punish political opponents, whom he accuses of the violence that occurred during the protests.

Georgia's ombudsman accused the police of torturing pro-EU protesters. Levan Loseliani, whose role is to protect the rights of citizens, said that he and his officials have met with people who have been "harshly treated" by the police.

The protesters have confessed to Radio Free Europe the brutality exercised by the security forces against them.

"They were hitting us on the head," said protester Salome Zandukeli, describing how she and a friend were chased on the night of December 2 by about 25 policemen into a building in central Tbilisi, before finding shelter in a cafe.

Activist Gia Jvarsheishvili told Radio Free Europe that he was thrown to the ground by attacking police and beaten before being forced into a police van, where detainees were forced to lie down and stomped by police.

"Suddenly I felt unbearable pain and realized that I was hurt. I didn't know it then, but I had broken ribs," said Jvarsheishvili.

Georgia's pro-European president Salome Zurabishvili, who sides with the demonstrators, told Platform X that many of the arrested protesters had head and facial injuries.

Some of them were systematically beaten during their arrest and transportation to detention centers, she added.

The excessive use of violence by Georgian security forces against protesters was described as "very disturbing" by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who said on December 3 that alliance members "call on the Georgian Government to remain in the path towards EU and NATO integration".

Most Georgians support EU membership, and efforts to join the bloc are mandated in Georgia's Constitution.

Georgia won EU candidate status in December 2023, but relations with Brussels have soured in recent months, starting with the passage of a Russian-style law on "foreign agents," which critics say threatens media and groups. of civil society accusing them of "serving" foreign powers./REL/


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