Georgian police detain six protesters as protests enter 75th day

On Monday, Georgian police detained six people in a protest in front of parliament in Tbilisi.

On Monday evening, thousands of people gathered on Rustaveli Avenue near parliament demanding new elections and the release of protesters detained during this wave of protests.

Protests on the thoroughfare have been taking place on an almost daily basis for more than 70 days following the government’s announcement that it would halt Georgia’s EU accession process. The political crisis followed October’s parliamentary elections, which according to official results, gave Georgian Dream a large majority, with 54% of the vote.

The Interior Ministry told OC Media that a total of six people were detained on charges of disobeying the police and violating the rules for organising or holding protests.

At least two of the protesters detained were released on the condition that they remain in the country on Tuesday, including Levan Gogichaishvili, a member of the opposition For Georgia party.

Giorgi Okribelashvili was also reportedly among those detained. He is the father of Omar Okribelashvili, who was detained in May on charges of damaging barricades set up at parliament’s main entrance during the protests against the controversial foreign agent law.

Since the protests began in November, law enforcement and unidentified masked people have assaulted a number of protesters, including journalists covering the proceedings. The authorities have yet to hold any of those responsible for attacks on protesters accountable.

Human rights activists in Georgia have suggested that more than 400 demonstrators could have been detained during pro-EU demonstrations against the government in November and December — a large number of whom claim that they were subjected to physical or psychological abuse by law enforcement officers.

From Abu-Dhabi’s dining room to Tbilisi’s street

Lasha Gabitashvili, a man was attacked in Abu Dhabi by Georgian Dream MPs Irakli Zarkua, Viktor Sanikidze, and Gocha Enukidze along with people accompanying politicians in a hotel in Abu Dhabi in January, said that he was attacked by three masked men in Tbilisi on Tuesday morning while he was walking his dog.

Gabitashvili published a video on Facebook following the attack, with a visible wound on his forehead. His doctor told media that Gabitashvili suffered from a concussion, but refused to be hospitalised.

Gabitashvili believes that he was attacked as a result of the altercation between him and the Georgian Dream MPs, which unfolded after he had criticised their party’s policies at a hotel in Abu Dhabi.

‘This is a continuation of the Abu-Dhabi [theme]. I just don’t think it was personally [ordered] by the people who were with me [in the pre-trial detention center in Abu Dhabi]’, he said, possibly referring to the Georgian Dream MPs who had attacked him.

‘This is more of a response by the regime to all such people [who are against it] to protect their regime members and to intimidate [demonstrators]’.

Zarkua has denied any involvement in the attack on Gabitashvili on Tuesday.

The Interior Ministry told OC Media that Tuesday’s attack on Gabitashvili was being investigated as an act of group violence.

Georgian Dream MPs fined by UAE authorities for attacking Georgian national in Abu Dhabi

On 13 January in the city of Abu Dhabi, Georgian Dream lawmakers attacked a Georgian citizen who had confronted them the day before over the ruling party’s policies.

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