Georgian Opposition Unites to Launch Registry of Illegal Detentions and Police Brutality

During a briefing on December 6, four major opposition forces in Georgia—Coalition for Change, Strong Georgia, Unity-UNM, and Gakharia for Georgia—announced their intention to create a public registry documenting the details of cases of people illegally detained and police officers involved in violent actions against peaceful demonstrators.

The registry will serve a threefold purpose: it provide detailed information about those who have been targeted by the government’s actions, assist in identifying police officers responsible for excessive use of force and serve to provide materials for the hold the perpetrators accountable in international courts. According to Ana Natsvlishvili, one of the leaders of Strong Georgia, the objective of such a mechanism is to “prompt the imposition of international criminal responsibility” on perpetrators. The leaders explained that the aim was not only to clarify who had been assaulted by the “regime”, but also to identify those who committed the violence.

The initiative also seeks to assist individuals who have been tortured or subjected to excessive force during arrests. Unity-UNM‘s Tamar Kordzaia outlined three key points of concern regarding the ongoing violence. First, she highlighted the targeted assaults on journalists and media representatives. Second, Kordzaia pointed out that violence is increasingly occurring in “buffer zones”—places like police cars or stations—where the public cannot witness or objectively assess the situation, noting that “they forge documents and make people sign these documents claiming that they were harmed during the arrest.” Third, she condemned raids on the offices of political parties and activists, conducted without court or police orders, a violation of Georgia’s criminal code.

The political leaders strongly condemned these practices, emphasizing that such actions violate both Article 9 (Inviolability of human dignity) of the Constitution of Georgia and Article 3 (Prohibition of torture) of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibit inhuman treatment and torture.

The recent wave of protests followed Irakli Kobakhidze‘s announcement to halt Georgia’s EU integration efforts, triggering a brutal crackdown on peaceful protests. The Public Defender’s Office has described the actions of the riot police as ‘acts of torture’, while the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) has stated that the systematic and violent repression of the civilian population should be considered a crime against humanity, which may be grounds for an application to the International Criminal Court. 

In response to these violations, international partners—including Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Ukraine— have already imposed sanctions on Georgian officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and on Bidzina Ivanishvili, the country’s de facto ruler, in connection with the violence. The situation continues to draw widespread condemnation both, within Georgia and from the international community.

Also Read:

• 06/12/2024 – Lithuanian Seimas Condemns Violence by GD Government Against Protesters, Calls for EU Sanctions
• 05/12/2024 – Leading MEPs Condemn Repressions in Georgia, Call for EU Sanctions
• 05/12/2024 – CoE Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Declaration on Situation in Georgia

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