Violence On Political Ground Continues

Irakli Managadze

Activists of the opposition parties were attacked on political grounds on the night of April 10 as well. The violence occurred in several districts of Tbilisi. It was reported to The Human Rights Center that late at night people were threatened, beaten and persecuted.

Members of Nino Burjanadze’s political party were ruthlessly beaten. Gocha Tevzadze, Lasha Kuchava and Levan Kotetishvili and taxi-driver Temur Bunturi needed medical treatment after the incident.

According to the victims they hailed a taxi in Rustaveli Avenue and asked the driver to take them to a bakery in Pekini Street. After they bought Khachapuri they wanted to get back into the taxi but they were attacked.

Nearly ten people dressed in civilian clothes attacked them. The harassers ordered them to bow their heads and then they cursed and kicked the activists. The incident happened at about 9:30 pm.

Taxi driver Teimuraz Bunturi stated that he remembers the car in which the attackers rode. It was a black BMW with the state number LAS – 433.

The victims reported that other members of their party also were attacked when they came to the bakery. The attackers seized cars from the activists but did not beat them

The taxi, in which Gocha Tevzadze, Lasha Kuchava and Levan Kotetishvili were riding, was damaged by the attackers. The car is currently parked near the office of Nino Burjanadze’s party in Rustaveli Avenue. Opposition leaders Kakha Kukava, Eka Beselia and Levan Gachechiladze visited the victimized people in the office of the political party.

Similar to this incident, one more attack occurred on the activists of the public movement “Why?” close to their office. Activists were going to their office when they were attacked by people who arrived at the place in two cars. About four people were sitting in each car. The attackers were not wearing masks.

The activists of the movement recognized 24-year-old Otar Davitashvili and deputy minister of environment, Davit Ioseliani. They were chasing activist girls of the movement and the boys tried to protect the girls. The incident turned into a quarrel and the back and left windows of the car were smashed.

Giorgi Darchia, a demonstrator, blames strangers for having beaten him. Unidentified people stopped the taxi in which he was riding in Perovskaia Street in Tbilisi. He was intending to go to the parliament building. Giorgi Darchia said: “Strangers demanded that I tell to which party I was a member. However, I told them I did not represent any political party and was an ordinary demonstrator. Anyway, they kept on demanding the same from me but when they failed to make me admit membership, they beat me.”

Nino Burjanadze held a briefing regarding the harassment of the activists. She spoke about future provocations. According to Burjanadze, they have information that false number plates are prepared with the same state numbers as the opposition leaders have on their cars. Nino Purjanadze said: “Generous people from the law enforcement bodies informed us about new provocations and reported that number plates with the same numbers as opposition leaders have on their cars are prepared and they will be fixed to similar cars. Then these cars will appear in suspicious places and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will spread photos and video-recordings for various reasons.”

The Human Rights Center is concerned regarding the persecution of people on political grounds. The Center calls upon the corresponding structures to investigate every incident.