How Special Forces Raided Public Assembly Protest Rally in Batumi

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

On May 21st the Special Forces raided the protest rally in front of Adjara TV. The protest rally participants were beaten by the clubs they brought for flags and posters according to their statement. In the morning of May 22nd, at 4 am, the Special Forces raided the office of Public Assembly and took several people.

Three frightened individuals jumped out of the second floor of the office during the special operation. Two were placed in the hospital with the injuries and fractures. 8 activists were imposed with administrative fine and imprisonment for 45-60 days, the criminal case has been filed against 7 activists under the offences of grave crime and misdemeanor. The compulsory measure – imprisonment – has been imposed against the detainees.

“This situation cannot even be compared to the year of 1937. Georgian government has a bloody leader. He hates Georgian population and loves his post…” – stated Temur Shashiashvili at the briefing held after the raid.

On May 22nd, the following information was located in the website of Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia – www.police.ge: “On May 21st, in front of the Adjara TV, during the process of the action organized by Public Assembly the protest rally participants threw stones and different items and damaged the building of the television. The law-enforcement officials detained 11 participants of the protest rally as a result of the incident.”

In reality, the law-enforcement officials detained 15 activists of Public Assembly. Gocha Mukhashavria, Vakhtang Sioridze, Dimitri Cheishvili, Anzor Solomonidze, Khvicha Gamarjobadze, Davit Partenadze and Tariel Putkaradze were imposed with charges envisaged by two articles of Criminal Code: Storming and Blocking of Television and Radio Broadcasting Establishment and opposing and disobidience to the police. The case is especially severed by the fact that the detainees are charged with group offence. Thus, the penalty sum amounts to minimum 6 and maximum 11 years.

May 21st – The Start of Protest Rally

Approximately 4 000 people gathered in Batumi at Era square. Except for the main request “Misha Leave” they held different posters: “Leave peacefully,” “Gonio without sheikhs,” “We were deprived of our land,” “Help us return our property.” The main participants were socially needy people and the ones whose rights have been violated by current government.

Majority of the protest rally participants were hindered by the patrol police. Their mini-buses were deprived due to various motives and were taken to the penalty parking-lot.

One such driver is Zaza Gelashvili from Ozurgeti: “I came to the action with my mini-bus LLS 298. The patrol police stopped me after passing Kobuleti center and told me that I exceeded the speed limit – 85 km/hr at one place. However, they could not name the place nor they could provide the witnesses.”

The mini-buses deprived by the law-enforcement officials were transferred to Batumi at the penalty parking-lot at Aghmashenebeli St. The special police ribands of prohibition are wrapped around these mini-buses. Who brought the mini-buses and due to what reason, the owners of the territory do not comment.

We addressed the Adjara Agency of patrol police to ascertain the exact reasons of mini-bus seizure. We were redirected to the head of press service of Ministry of Internal Affairs Zurab Gvenetadze who did not answer our telephone calls.

According to one of the leaders of the protest rally Tsotne Ananidze, the protest rally participants were transferred from Shuakhevi municipality to the medical-narcological inspection.

At Era square, during 3:00-7:00 pm, the high officials of Adjara Main Agency of MIA, Special Security Department and Special Operative Department were mobilized, including – the heads of Khelvachauri and Keda municipality City Councils and Governors. They refused to make comments and just stated that they can be wherever they want.

Raiding Protest Rally in front of Adjara TV

At about 7:00 pm the protest rally transferred to the front of Adjara TV. The organizers of the rally were requesting objective covering of events and live broadcasting of the action: “This TV is financed from the budget. It belongs to people. Therefore the action must be covered in the live broadcasting.”

One of the leaders of the protest rally Murman Dumbadze gave 15 minutes to the leadership of Adjara TV to fulfill their requests. However, the Special Forces unit did not let them count the time. The Special Forces swiftly mobilized in front of the TV building and physically assaulted people. Meanwhile the protest rally participants three several stones. The opposition assures that the law-enforcement officials were with them at that time and they could have been the ones who three the stones. The glasses of window and the door of Adjara TV building got broken as a result.

For several minutes the situation was absolutely uncontrollable – the Special Forces and the policemen beat the protest rally participants with the handles of the flags. The protest rally participants tried to escape but the Special Forces ran after them and beat them with clubs. Older women were among the beaten.

Special Forces did not let the journalists work. Mzia Amaghlobeli, a journalist of newspaper Batumelebi was made to delete a photo in her camera: “One of the members of Special Forces made me delete the photo as it showed his actions.”

Human Rights Center was also hindered to take a photo. Special Forces member who had a black leather glove and the so-called knuckle-duster ordered us not to take a photo.

The editor of the newspaper Batumelebi Eter Turadze was hindered to move for about 15 minutes: “I was standing in front of Adjara TV and the policemen asked me to leave the territory for the sake of my safety. I did not feel secure as these were the policemen who beat the protest rally participants several minutes ago.”