Special Investigation Service Probes Alleged Police Violence During Pro-EU Protests
The Special Investigation Service announced on December 5 an ongoing investigation into allegations of exceeding official power using violence and interference in the activities of journalists during the protests in Tbilisi in November and December 2024.
The investigation is being conducted under Article 333, Section 3, Subparagraph “b” and Article 154, Section 2 of the Criminal Code of Georgia. The service said it has received 319 reports of rights violations through its hotline, as well as from the Public Defender’s Office, the Media Ombudsman, and temporary detention facilities. These reports include complaints from protesters and media representatives. The service continues to receive reports and “ensures prompt legal responses using all available resources.”
“Since the beginning of the investigation, 140 people (including 5 journalists) have been examined at the Investigation Service, temporary detention facilities and medical clinics, and 42 citizens have undergone medical examinations,” the press release said. For the purpose of gathering evidence, “the study/analysis of hundreds of hours of television broadcasts available on the public Internet is underway,” the agency notes.
Medical facilities have been requested to provide records detailing the treatment of injuries sustained during the protests, according to the statement. In addition, the Emergency Coordination and Ambulance Center has been asked to identify the paramedics who treated the injured. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Interior has provided the investigation with administrative detention records and related medical documentation.
Information on the progress and results of the investigation will be gradually released to the public,” the statement concluded.
The mass protest rallies began on November 28 after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Georgia was suspending its EU accession negotiations. Since the protests began, there have been increasing reports and footage of excessive police force, brutality and human rights violations. Identifying the perpetrators is complicated by the fact that almost all the police forces involved in the violent dispersal of peaceful demonstrators have their faces covered.
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