Koba Khabazi attacked outside party office: “Around 50 masked men hit me”

Koba Khabazi, a member of the Coalition for Change, was attacked and severely beaten outside the coalition’s office in Tbilisi. According to him, a group of around 50 masked individuals dressed in black attacked him as he exited the office.

“I was coming down in the elevator and stepped into the stairwell where they were gathered. At first, I thought they were security, but when they saw me, they shouted, ‘There he is!’ I was struck from behind and tumbled down the stairs. After that, they beat me for about 10 minutes nonstop, kicking me and even hitting me in the head. It was clear they had orders to attack someone recognizable, to create fear and terror,” Khabazi said.

He suffered head injuries during the attack. Khabazi likened the incident to previous assaults on him, stating, this wasn’t the first time he had been targeted.

”The last two times, those attacks sparked revolutions. They won’t intimidate or defeat people fighting for freedom…These thugs will end very badly. I’ve been through a lot in Georgia and even Ukraine. I know it’s impossible to intimidate or defeat those who fight for freedom,” he stressed.

The incident took place near the coalition’s office on Saturday evening, where earlier in the day, journalist Maka Chikhladze and her cameraman were also physically assaulted. Additionally, two protestors were attacked on Furtseladze Street, with one requiring medical attention.