MIA: 43 Protesters Detained, 32 Officers Injured Overnight
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) announced that 43 were arrested during a protest near Parliament in Tbilisi early Friday, November 29. The arrests were made on administrative charges of petty hooliganism (Article 166) and disobeying lawful police orders (Article 173).
The protest erupted after Irakli Kobakhidze said GD leadership decided to stall the EU accession process “until 2028” to evade fulfilling the conditions posed by Brussels that “contradict Georgian values.”
In its statement, the MIA claimed it acted to “protect public order,” accusing protesters of provoking officers and engaging in physical and verbal confrontations with them. The Ministry said protesters hurled glass bottles, stones, metal objects, and firecrackers and were met by the police use of “special means allowed by law.”
Eyewitnesses from the scene and media footage contradict these statements, showing the police apparently using force and pepper spray without provocation. Watchdogs particularly condemned the combined use of a water cannon and chemical irritants, with the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) saying it violated international best practices and local regulations.
Last night’s protest was also marked by targeted police brutality against a dozen journalists, a matter the MIA skirted in its statement. Brutality by unidentifiable men clad in black, with facemasks, helmets, and special gear who operated alongside riot police was another distinctive feature of the night’s events. Their belonging to the police service remains to be ascertained by the officials.
The MIA reported that 32 police officers were injured overnight, with 13 requiring surgical intervention and one remaining hospitalized. It also stated further investigations are underway on charges of assaulting the police officers (Article 353) and damaging property (Article 187).
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