Torture allegations in Georgia: When justice exists only on paper
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
While the Georgian government continues to accuse Western states of “interference” and portrays itself as a defender of the rule of law and human rights, a shocking report by the Georgian NGO SAIA (Georgian Young Lawyers' Association) shows once again how far reality is from this whitewashing.
SAIA is currently monitoring the criminal proceedings against demonstrators arrested in connection with the protests – and the findings are alarming: Ten demonstrators have reported in detail abuses , some of which constitute torture, threat of torture, and degrading or inhuman treatment under the Georgian Constitution and international human rights treaties. And as if that weren't enough, the cases also demonstrate the ineffectiveness and bias of Georgian law enforcement agencies in investigating these crimes.
Shocking individual cases – a systemic problem
Saba Tskhvitartize describes how he was arrested without explanation, abducted without access to a lawyer, and then brutally beaten by masked officers in the Dighomi police station – on two different floors, by different groups. Welcome to the new Georgia, where masks not only symbolize the pandemic but also ensure the anonymity of the perpetrators.
Revaz Kiknadze reports psychological pressure and forced confessions, while Nikoloz Katsia was not only mocked and insulted, but also complains about lack of food in prison and the misuse of his bank account – a detail that was even confirmed by the Georgian Ombudsman.
Other cases, such as those of Anatoli Gigauri , Davit Khomeriki , Davit Lomidze , Temur Zasokhashvili , Archil Museliani , Anastasia Zinovkina , and Mzia Amaghlobeli , tell of beatings, sexual threats, forced perjury, and abuse in police custody. There are video recordings and eyewitness accounts—but what's missing is consistency .
A justice system that looks away
Despite these shocking reports, the Georgian judiciary has shown remarkable indifference: Only one of the ten victims has so far been officially recognized as a victim . In nine other cases, the public prosecutor's office simply refuses to recognize them as victims – a tactical ploy to drastically curtail the victims' rights in the proceedings.
The so-called "Special Investigation Office," responsible for the investigation, also delivers a frightening report: incomplete evidence gathering, exclusion of key witnesses (such as the Ombudsman's representatives), a lack of objectivity, and a lack of transparency. Video recordings are fragmentary, and medical reports are ignored or submitted late. An "investigation" in the best post-Soviet style.
Effective investigations? A foreign concept
SAIA reminds us of what a true investigation would require: independence, adequacy, speed, publicity, and the involvement of victims. But the Georgian system fails miserably on all these fronts.
One inevitably wonders: How can a government that systematically mistreats demonstrators and obstructs the investigation still credibly claim to be a democratic country on its way to joining the EU? Why are ten young Georgians sitting in prison for months while the perpetrators in uniform continue to be protected? And what, pray tell, does all this have to do with "sovereignty"?
Demand: Immediate recognition of victims' rights and genuine investigations
SAIA demands nothing less than the bare minimum: the immediate recognition of all affected persons as victims, the conduct of genuine and lawful investigations in accordance with the relevant articles of the Criminal Code (Article 144¹ – torture, 144² – threat of torture, 144³ – degrading or inhuman treatment) and the complete disclosure of all investigation results to the public.
Anything else would be nothing less than a declaration of bankruptcy of the Georgian constitutional state – and a further step towards isolation, repression and moral ruin.
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