In Georgia, about 200 people so far have been detained following protests. They have all been beaten, round the head and in particular the eyes.
While some of these beatings are happening during the protests, reports are coming in that a lot of the beatings are actually happening during detention.
It's not casual police brutality in the heat of the moment, but deliberate targeted punishment beatings of protestors once they are in custody.
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
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"Georgia Public defender Levan Ioseliani has said that 124 out of 156 persons (80%) detained during the protest that his office had access to reported being subjected to violence and mistreatment by the police. “The number of citizens claiming that the police used excessive force is growing at an alarming rate,” Ioseliani said and urged law enforcement not to overstep legal boundaries."
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"Following Baltic countries, the EU should immediately put sanctions on those responsible in the ministry of interior & police for the violence of the Georgia uprising…
Time that Europe acts ! … instead of words …."
Guy Verhofstadt,
MEP.
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
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In Georgia, the Senior Instructor at the Tactical Training Department of the Police Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Giorgi Gabekhadze resigns.
This is the first resignation of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the department responsible for policing the protests.
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
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The Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have announced the first steps of their sanctions against Georgia
All of these Georgian government members are banned from travelling to their countries.
Bidzina Ivanishvili
Vakhtang Gomelauri
Shalva Bedoidze
Ioseb Chelidze
Aleksandre Darakhvelidze
Giorgi Butkhuzi
Zviad Kharazishvili
Mileri Lagazauri
Mirza Kezevadze
Vaja Siradze
Teimuraz Kupatadze
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"You can't defeat these brave, smart and cunning people!
Get away from us! Go to the dark and evil world and rule there!"
Teoko Illustrations,
Georgia.
In Georgia, they're heading into their fifth consecutive night of protests, although it's fairer to say it's one continuous protest at this point. They haven't stopped at all today, with even the schoolchildren going on strike.
While the focus of the anti government protests is the parliament in the capital Tbilisi, today there are also big protests in about 15 towns and cities across Georgia.
They're not backing down.
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
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https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-protests-eu-violence/33223228.html
Police again moved to disperse thousands of demonstrators in Tbilisi on December 2 after more than 200 people were detained during four previous nights of protests amid anger over government plans to suspend EU accession talks through 2028.
Mélanie Joly, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced that Canada intends to “sanction key individuals, as well as companies and entities involved in human rights violations or corruption, based on our sanctions regime”. Canada reiterated its support and solidarity with the Georgian people and expressed concern about the current political situation in Georgia.
You can check this live map of Georgia to see how many protests are currently happening in Georgia.
The last count was 25. Freedom is contagious.
https://caucasus.liveuamap.com/en/2024/2-december-17-nationwide-protests-are-happening-today-in
Nationwide protests are happening today in at least half of Georgia’s cities and towns. Here’s the full list: Batumi, Kobuleti, Ozurgeti, Lanchkhuti, Chokhatauri, Poti, Zugdidi, Chkhorotsku, Tsalenjikha, Martvili, Jvari, Kutaisi, Kharagauli, Tkibuli, Dmanisi, Borjomi, Akhaltsikhe, Khashuri, Dusheti, Gori, Kareli, Telavi, Lagodekhi, Gurjaani, Kvareli, Akhmeta, Rustavi, and Tbilisi. Video shows demonstrations in Tsalenjikha, via Daitove. Explore Caucasus local news alerts & today's headlines geolocated on live map on website or application. Focus on politics, military news and security alerts
"Across Georgia, people are rising against the Russian puppetry regime. From the capital to the smallest towns, this is a movement unlike anything in our history.
The message is clear:
Give me my vote back!
Give me my European future back!"
Salome Zurabishvili,
President,
Georgia.
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"We are troubled by steps taken by the Georgian government to move away from greater integration with Europe."
“As you know, we do not preview sanctions from this podium. However, when we have announcements to make regarding sanctions, we make them.”
Matthew Miller,
U.S. State Department.
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https://frontnews.ge/en/us-stands-with-georgian-people-says-matthew-miller/
During a press briefing, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller reaffirmed the United States’ support for the Georgian people, expressing deep concern over the actions taken by the Georgian government that deviate from the path of European integration. “We are troubled by steps taken by the Georgian government to move away from greater integration with […]
In Tbilisi, Georgia, not even the president herself knows who these people are who are 'policing' the protests. They are not regular police or specialist riot units or armed forces. They have no identifying marks, just tear gas, rubber bullets and brutality.
Also, only in Tbilisi are the protests becoming violent. Elsewhere in the country, where there are just regular police forces, the protests are peaceful events where you can take the whole family.
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Last night's protests in Tbilisi, Georgia-
There were even more protestors than previous nights.
The 'police' crackdown started very early, with more water cannons and more tear gas, but overall there were less beatings and much less arrests. This wasn't for lack of trying. They were just outmanoeuvred.
It seems the unidentified and unknown special forces terrorising Tbilisi are human after all.
And they're getting tired.
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
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Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, Chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, expressed strong support for the Georgian people’s ongoing protests against government violence, drawing parallels to past democratic movements in Eastern Europe. Regarding U.S.-Georgia relations, he clarified that despite claims from Georgian officials, he believes President Donald Trump, a supporter of democracy, “would stand with the people of Georgia, and not with the regime that rigged the elections.”
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“The use of unnecessary or disproportionate force against protesters and media workers is extremely worrying."
“All Georgians from across the political spectrum should be able to express their views about the future of their country freely and peacefully.”
Volker Turk,
UN Human Rights Commissioner.
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Joint statement from parties in the Council of Europe on 'The Grave Political Crisis in Georgia.'
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
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"Sixty employees of the Georgian Public Broadcaster, including its prominent faces, TV presenters Nino Zautashvili and Vasil Ivanov-Chikovani, have signed a statement condemning the violent crackdown on protesters and distancing themselves from the Georgian Dream party’s decision to halt the EU membership process until 2028. The document says that the move violates Georgia’s constitutional commitment to European integration."
And, finally, a statement from the U.K. government condemning the police brutality used against protestors in Georgia and the Georgian government's turn away from democratic norms .
At least 5 days late and pretty weak, but welcome all the same.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-statement-on-the-situation-in-georgia
"Constitutional Court of Georgia issued its decision on rejecting appeals by President Zurabishvili and more than 30 former opposition MPs challenging the constitutionality of the October 26 parliamentary elections.
President Salome Zurabishvili had appealed on November 19, alleging violations of the constitutional principles of secrecy of the vote and universal suffrage in the parliamentary elections. The President asked that the final results be declared unconstitutional."
In Georgia, the statements denouncing the violence against protestors and distancing themselves from the government keep on coming. Yesterday it was the medics and the teachers. Today it's the staff at the public broadcaster and the Civil Society Foundation.
It's a drip, drip effect slowly eroding any standing the government ever had. They are losing all support. Soon they will have to rule by brute force alone.
Do they have it in them?
The Russian disinformation on the Georgia protests is something else. No, Russia is not going to invade and no, George Soros is NOT funding all the protestors. Obvs.
In a nutshell, the Georgian people are protesting the recent rigged elections and the government's unconstitutional decision to stop their E.U. membership bid.
Georgians want new elections. That's it. It's not that radical.
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
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In Georgia, the Public Broadcaster TV channel has just announced that they will grant protest members airtime every evening as long as the crisis is ongoing.
This follows this mornings' statement from over 60 public broadcaster staff members denouncing the protest violence and the fact the public broadcaster wasn't showing the protest violence.
Maybe this will help their ratings!
"The masks are off. We owe it to those brutally beaten while being arrested to spread the word and show the extent of the violence the Georgian people endure daily.
This is horrifying. It is inhumane."
Elene Kintsarashvili,
Georgia.
"Giorgi Gakharia, the former Minister of Internal Affairs under GD, states that he has legitimate suspicions that those wearing black masks during protest dispersals are not employees of the MIA but belong to informal groups. It has long been reported that US-sanctioned minister Zviad Kharazishvili has informal punitive squads."
Anna Gvarishvili,
Georgian journalist.
"Today, we find ourselves in a situation where a knife has been driven into the constitution, tearing it apart completely"
Georgian President Zourabichvili addressed the nation following the Constitutional Court of Georgia's decision to reject her appeal, along with those of over 30 former opposition MPs, challenging the results of the parliamentary elections.
“Is it me you are afraid of?!”
Illustration by Tamunia Budaghashvili
This illustration is not just a representation, but taken from a video of a real life confrontation in Tbilisi, Georgia 2 nights ago
The latest news is that the lone woman who confronted the row of riot police was arrested and fined €900, the equivalent of 2 months wages in Georgia, and then released. We're still waiting to hear from her directly.
#GeorgiaProtests
#StandWithGeorgia
https://publika.ge/izolatorshi-rcheba-qapecrazmis-kordoni-gaarghvia-ras-yveba-advokati/
The latest news from Georgia is that the government has banned the sales of protective equipment such as gas masks, goggles and helmets.
The Georgian government don't want their people to protect themselves from the tear gas, water cannons and rubber bullets the unidentified special forces are using against them.
After 6 days of general disinterest from Western media, The Washington Post, New York Times and the Financial Times have finally sent journalists to cover the protests in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The only problem is the journalists they have sent are all Russians.
You couldn't make it up, but then you don't need to. That's what Russian journalists do.
Medics in Georgia are appealing to the government to let them know which chemicals are being used against protestors so they can diagnose the many people coming to hospital with injuries.
The Georgian government have declined to comment.
"17 former U.S. national security officials and Georgia experts have published an open letter pressing the U.S. government to take measures to respond the fast-evolving crisis in Georgia. The measures include withholding recognition of results of the October 26 Parliamentary elections, sanctioning Bidzina Ivanishvili and his cronies as well as human rights abusers and extending support for President Salome Zourabichvili."
"Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, has announced that no new development cooperation projects with Georgia will be approved or commissioned, and no loan agreements will be signed. This decision follows the recent declaration by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to halt the country’s EU integration process “until 2028.”
Svenja Schulze, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany, has announced that no new development cooperation projects with Georgia will be approved or commissioned, and no l
"To Western tankies sipping latte or conservatives howling for freedom with their guns - great job advocating for a Ukraine scenario to be prevented in Georgia, while pushing for a Belarus scenario instead. That's your "freedom" and "justice."
Marika Mikiashvili,
Georgian Journalist.
Breaking Georgia
Giorgi Gvimradze has stepped down as News Director of the Georgian Public Broadcaster.
Breaking Georgia.
Happening in Georgia now are simultaneous police raids of offices and homes of many different opposition parties and activists and civil society groups.
It's unclear how successful these raids have been, with some leaving immediately after being challenged for the necessary paperwork, and some activists being taken into custody with their phones and laptops confiscated.
In Georgia, Nika Gvaramia, one of the leaders of Coalition 4 Change was dragged by the police and thrown into a detention car as he was physically assaulted and unconscious. This happened at the party office at Sharashidze Street, Tbilisi, Georgia.
In Georgia, 4 opposition politicians, Gela Khasaia, NikaGvaramia, Vepkho Kasradze, Vaso Kadzelashvili have all been arrested and detained in separate simultaneous raids by Georgian police.
This is Georgia now.
Nika Gvaramia, opposition party politician was assaulted in broad daylight, in the party offices, and carried away unconscious by the police.
It's just one of many raids and arrests happening simultaneously in Georgia after nights of protests.
This is Georgia now.
ProjectFearlessness
Mirishuli