Three former Interior Ministry employees arrested over alleged violence against citizens

Three former employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia have been arrested on charges of exceeding official powers through the use of violence, the Prosecutor’s Office said on Monday.

According to the Adjara Autonomous Republic Prosecutor’s Office, the investigation found that in July 2022 the three officers from the Imereti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Police Department had been seconded to the Adjara region on official duty. While working on a criminal case, they allegedly brought three citizens to the administrative building of the Kobuleti District Division, where they exceeded their authority and subjected the individuals to verbal and physical abuse, substantially violating the victims’ rights and the state’s lawful interests.

The investigation was launched following a referral from the General Inspection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

All three defendants were detained earlier today on the basis of a court ruling. They have been charged under Article 333, Part 3(b) of the Criminal Code of Georgia (exceeding official powers with violence), which carries a prison sentence of five to eight years.

The Prosecutor’s Office said it will apply to the court within the legally established timeframe to request preventive measures for the defendants.