Two Georgian Dream activists arrested in Poti

Inga Gvasalia,Poti

On September 23 Georgian Dream activists Gizo Tsatsua and Goderdzi Shonia were arrested by police for violating the administrative code. Majoritarian candidate in Poti from Georgian Dream Eka Beselia held a briefing were she talked about planned provocations from the government.

According to Eka Beselia, on September 22 Georgian Dream supporters were planning to go to the assembly in Zugdidi. During the preparations Temur Karbaia,  a National Movement activist, came to him and verbally assaulted them. Coalition activist Gizo Tsatua called for calm. On that day nothing more took place. But the next day police came to Gizo Tsatua’s and Goderdzi Shonia’s houses to take them to a police station for questioning, where they were arrested.

Eka Beselia has her own explanation for why so many opposition activists are being arrested. She claims that the huge assembly meeting that was held in Zugdidi put the government off balance. The new minister of internal affairs has begun her work with repressions and political attacks. The government plan to provoke Georgian Dream supporters and activists  in order to use repression and political hounding.  Beselia states “Our activists were arrested illegally and we will do anything to release them.”

During the briefing, Eka Beselia also talked about the illegal detention of the arrested people. The court should have confirmed preventive detention measures on that day but they didn’t do so, which is a violation of the law, which we will react to. She calls for calm because only one week is left before the elections: “I call on you to be calm and be extremely careful not to be provoked. The government has started a phase that it cannot control. I fully expect different types of provocations. I want to warn all Judges and police: do not follow this regime and don’t make illegal decisions. Stop blackmailing and illegal detentions. We will protect all supporters and activists. The government's days are numbered and nobody should comply to their orders.”

During the briefing Eka Beselia also mentioned another incident of political persecution: On September 23 our supporter Besik Matkava came to us. In the morning unknown people in a car threatened him about his children.

According to Matkava, in the morning when he came out of his house a black Volkswagen without a number plate stopped in front of him. Matkava said “The person sitting next to the driver greeted me and asked if I, the father of two sons, was still with Georgian Dream? He said I should be afraid. They made threats towards my children in order to stop me going to the coalition. But I have my opinion and I see the future in them. As I can see this government has nothing left except threatening my children. Despite this I won’t back down.”

According to Matkava, he could identify both persons.

Beselia says that they will send information about this to International organizations and human rights protectors.