Along with the beatings, the special forces robbed the detainees, took away their clothes, shoes, mobile phones, bags, wallets, glasses, crosses and other personal belongings – they forced them to say derogatory phrases about themselves or to praise head of the Special Tasks Department, Zviad Kharazishvili (“Khareba”). In some cases, Kharazishvili personally recorded videos of the beaten detainees, – reads the joint statement made by the heads of non-governmental sectors.
Transparency International Georgia Executive Director Eka Gigauri, Georgian European Orbit Executive Director Nino Lomjaria and Rule of Law Center Director Londa Toloraia, spoke at the joint press conference about “how the Georgian Dream planned the systemic torture of peaceful demonstrators.”
“Based on the information we analyzed, which is based on information provided to lawyers by victims and publicly available sources, we can state that the Ministry of Internal Affairs determined brutal methods of cracking down on the demonstrators and a system of torture in advance, in order to suppress the peaceful demonstrations that began on November 28.
“To crack down on tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators, the Ministry of Internal Affairs used special equipment, including unknown substances diluted in water jets, pepper spray, tear gas of an unknown substance, and others.
“In some cases, before the crackdown began, a special water jet vehicle approached the demonstrators, and a special warning/call to disperse was heard. In some cases, the crackdown on demonstrations began with direct pursuit and arrests of demonstrators, and a warning signal and other means of crackdown were used later.
“After using the water jets, the special forces fired a large number of tear gas capsules at tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators, which made breathing and vision impossible, caused panic, and created a real threat of stampede and chaos.
“In a number of cases, peaceful demonstrators who obeyed the call to disperse were ambushed, surrounded, and detained by special forces.
“Special forces physically abused detainees, and after they were brought into the special forces cordon, law enforcement officers continued to physically abuse them and then took them to special detention vehicles- minivans.
“The interior of the special detention vehicles was arranged in such a way as to facilitate beatings of detainees; groups of special forces periodically, in turns, entered the minivans and physically abused the detainees held there.
It is clear from the detainees’ testimonies that the physical violence, inhuman and degrading treatment and torture against them was supervised by one person, who gave instructions – where, how and with what intensity the detainees should be beaten;
“The detainees were especially beaten in the face, head, eye sockets, ribs, kidneys.
“Along with the beatings, the special forces robbed the detainees – they took their clothes, shoes, mobile phones, bags, wallets, glasses, crosses and other personal belongings;
“There is a known case when special forces threw a gas canister into a minivan where detainees were being beaten, and then closed the door”, NGO representatives report.
The Public Defender of Georgia stated that out of 327 detainees visited by representatives of his office, 225 claimed to be victims of ill-treatment, 157 of whom had visible physical injuries.
