Violence Diary - Human Rights Stories

On November 28, 2024, Irakli Kobakhidze announced Georgian Dream's decision not to include
the issue of opening negotiations with the European Union on the agenda until the end of 2028.
This decision can rightly be seen as the culmination of the Georgian Dream's anti-European
policy.


The announcement followed the highly contested parliamentary elections of October 26, 2024,
the results of which were rejected by the President of Georgia, opposition parties that surpassed
the electoral threshold, and a significant portion of the population. The OSCE/ODIHR assessed
the elections with an unprecedentedly critical report, highlighting numerous issues, including
large-scale violations of the fundamental principle of voter secrecy. Compounding this is the de
facto absence of international legitimacy for the elections.


Irakli Kobakhidze's statement sparked public outrage, triggering peaceful nationwide protests.
Hundreds of thousands of protesters are demanding new parliamentary elections and the
release of individuals detained during the demonstrations as part of ongoing repression.
Georgian Dream responded to these legitimate public protests with large-scale, brutal police
force and repression. During peaceful demonstrations in front of Parliament, authorities have
detained over 500 protesters to date. The majority were subjected to torture and degrading or
inhuman treatment, either during or after their arrest.


Both local and international organizations have confirmed the systemic use of torture against
protesters. The World Organization Against Torture (OMCT), for instance, characterized the
treatment of protesters by police forces as torture and inhuman treatment. The organization
urged the authorities to immediately halt these acts and conduct a prompt and effective
investigation.


Our goal is to gradually document and share the stories of torture, inhuman, and degrading
treatment experienced by participants in the ongoing popular protests in Georgia at the hands of
police forces.