71-year-old woman detained at Tbilisi anti-Government protest begins hunger strike

A 71-year-old woman detained during the November 2 protest on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi has begun a dry hunger strike, her lawyer confirmed on Monday.

Aza Chilachava was arrested by police on administrative charges during anti-Government protests, accused of deliberately obstructing traffic during opposition-led protests in the Georgian capital. Prior to this, she faced administrative proceedings over a face-mask violation, for which she received only a verbal warning from the court.

Her lawyer, Mariam Pataridze, shared details of her condition in a public post, saying Chilachava insisted her hunger strike is a form of protest.

“I can’t stop thinking how we left 71-year-old Aza in the detention cell, where police sealed 2.55 GEL belonging to her at the time of arrest,” Pataridze wrote, adding that Chilachava described the detention room as larger than her own living space, as she is displaced from the currently Russian-occupied Abkhazia region.

According to the lawyer, Chilachava told them: “I have my protest!” and became emotional when speaking about young people fighting for a better future.

“She told us not to worry about her. It is the feeling of helplessness that keeps me awake,” Pataridze said.