17 Journalists Injured at the Disperse of Protest Rally

Gela Mtivlishvili

On May 26th the journalists were also injured as a result of the Public Assembly  protest rally disperse by the Special Forces unit.

The members of Special Forces made a siege around the correspondents and beat them by clubs. Some were inflicted with numerous bodily injuries. Some journalists were detained. As of today, 17 Georgian journalists were damaged as a result of disperse of protest rally.

The members of Special Forces physically assaulted the correspondent of interpressnews Darejan Paatashvili. She showed an identification card to one of the members of Special Forces who snatched it from her at first and then pulled her by the throat.

The video camera of Palitra TV operator Avtandil Surmava was broken.

Special Forces beat one more correspondent of the news agency interpressnews Malkhaz Chkadua. He was first deprived of his documents, then detained and transferred to Dighomi police department. The journalist had been detained for an hour and a half and was assaulted verbally. “Another journalist and I fell inside the siege of the Special Forces. They beat us with clubs. I cried out that I was a journalist but they still beat me. Then I was taken to Dighomi police department. I was released after hour and a half,” – stated Malkhaz Chkadua.

Two correspondents of the information agency expressnews were detained: the journalist Ana Gabunia and Tengo Okujava. Okujava was released soon. Ana Gabunia was released in the morning.

The journalists of the information agency Pirveli – Telara Gelandia and Khatuna Gagnidze were beaten, - states the newspaper Rezonansi (Resonance) in its May 27th edition.

The journalist of the newspaper Rezonansi Zaira Mikatadze was verbally and physically assaulted.

The journalists of the newspaper Asaval-Dasavali Beka Sivsivadze and Giorgi Mamatsashvili were injured as a result of the protest rally. Beka Sivsivadze was inflicted with numerous injuries by the rubber bullets. “I told them that we were the journalists but they beat us harder when they heard it. I was made to lie down and was beaten by the clubs. My head was all bruised. I was shot by approximately 30 rubber bullets,” – states Beka Sivsivadze.

The members of the Special Forces unit beat the journalist of Netgazeti Tamaz Kupreishvili who was first deprived of the video camera.

The journalist of Netgazeti Nino Kakhishvili was poisoned by the tear gas. She was transferred to the hospital and was dismissed after receiving initial medical treatment.

One more journalist of Netgazeti Nestan Tsetskhladze was deprived of the video camera.

The journalist Kote Stalinski was inflicted with bodily injuries during the disperse of the protest rally.

Special Forces beat the journalist of the newspaper Guria news Nato Gogelia and deprived her of photo camera. The member of staff of Media.ge witnessed the fact.

The police official physically assaulted the editor of Media.Ge Davit Mchedlidze and hindered him to perform his professional duties.

Special Forces physically assaulted the journalist of Media Union Obiektivi (Objective) Diana Khoperia who was given several stitches on the head.