On the night of November 29-30, 2024, police measures were taken in several stages against the participants in the protest rally on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi.

The Public Defender has repeatedly explained that specific, individual and proportionate measures defined by law should be applied to individual unlawful actions of citizens, although this in no case creates legal grounds for the complete dispersal of the entire rally and peaceful protesters.

In addition, in the morning hours of November 30, during the dispersal of the rally, there were no legal grounds for the use of special equipment against peaceful protesters and the detention of dozens of citizens.

According to the released video footage, law enforcement officers used special equipment indiscriminately against everyone, detained any citizen they could physically reach, persecuted them even in private facilities away from the main assembly location, subjected detainees to group and multiple violence, and deliberately attacked journalists.

Last night, peaceful demonstrators, journalists, and detainees were subjected to a violation of the absolute right guaranteed by the Constitution of Georgia and the European Convention on Human Rights - prohibition of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment.

It is worrying that recently large-scale and repeated acts of ill-treatment of citizens during the dispersal of protests have become a practice contrary to the Convention.

Particularly disturbing are the video footage disseminated by the media, which depict the forms, methods and degree of brutality committed by law enforcement officers against detainees.

Public Defender’s representatives met with the detained citizens last night and throughout the day. Among them, Public Defender’s representative visited journalist Mariam Gaprindashvili, who was injured as a result of alleged violence by special forces, in the clinic. According to her, she was performing her official duties at the protest rally when an unknown object was thrown at her head and she lost consciousness.

Public Defender’s representatives continue to visit detainees, both in Tbilisi and in detention centers in various cities of Georgia, as well as in Adjara and Guria, where the persons detained at the Batumi rally are being held.

During last night and today, Public Defender’s representatives visited 41 people, of whom 40 have the status of administrative detainees. 28 detainees indicated ill-treatment by law enforcement officers (12 of them do not want their case to be responded); 2 additional people had physical injuries, however, one could not be interviewed because he was placed in a medical institution, and the other, who was also in the clinic, did not want to give explanations; 18 people had various injuries, mainly on the face.

Persons who were subjected to alleged ill-treatment mainly indicated deliberate physical violence by law enforcement officers in retaliation for their expressed civil position. According to some detainees, physical violence was inflicted on them not only during the arrest, but also in the car.

The Public Defender's Office continues to visit detainees in various cities, and information about them will be provided to the public.

The hotline of the Public Defender's Office - 14 81 - operates 24 hours a day to receive reports of human rights violations.