Georgia: Police must be held accountable for use of excessive force against protesters

Responding to news that police in Georgia violently dispersed an overwhelmingly peaceful demonstration in Tbilisi, where protestors rallied against the controversial “foreign influence” bill, Denis Krivosheev, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, said: “What we witnessed in Tbilisi yesterday was a brutal retribution against people for exercising their right to protest peacefully. The authorities act as if it is their prerogative to decide when people can or cannot protest and deploy riot police to disperse and arbitrarily arrest the protestors using violence. On several occasions, police were seen chasing and hitting fleeing protestors with truncheons, surrounding and beating them mercilessly while on the ground.” “Instead of facilitating a peaceful demonstration, the police have carried out what appears to be a punishment operation. We urge a swift, impartial and thorough investigation into all instances of force used, and accountability for those found responsible of unlawful use of force. We also remind the Georgian authorities that the right to peaceful assembly is fundamental, and the government of Georgia must comply with the country’s international human rights obligations.