Physical violence is a key pillar in building autocracy, and the ruling Georgian Dream party is taking steps that deepen the human rights crisis, Rachel Denber, a representative of an international organization, Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated in her interview with the Voice of America.
“The majority of detainees have been victims of brutal violence,” Denber stated, emphasizing that her organization has documented police violence against protesters, activists, and political opponents since early spring 2024.
“The government is trying to silence every dissenting voice. They are on a path where they seek to preemptively restrict and suppress any opposition and limit public action. It appears that they are constantly escalating the situation to then justify crushing all opposition voices,” she said.
Denber noted that attacks on demonstrators were not limited to protests:
“Protesters were brutally assaulted not only while standing in demonstrations but also near their homes or simply walking on the street, where they were harassed by certain groups. The nature of these attacks made it clear that they were coordinated and that the perpetrators were acting under orders rather than of their own accord. We have recorded every such case and have approached the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office to ask what steps were being taken to investigate. The response we received was worse than unsatisfactory.”
Additionally, Denber highlighted the excessive force used by riot police at demonstrations:
“We have documented cases where riot police launched merciless attacks on people simply standing in the streets. There is absolutely nothing that can justify this type of violence. Nor can anything justify police officers dragging people behind their lines and beating them ruthlessly, even as they were already on the ground. The sole purpose of such actions is punishment, revenge, and sending an intimidating message to others.”
