Masked Men Assaulted Demonstrators

Nona Salagaia

Officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs detained several suspects for involvement in the incident which had taken place in Purtseladze Street. According to Nana Kakabadze, Ramaz Jashiashvili, Luka Gvaramadze, Davit Kenchadze, Levan Loluashvili and Dato Kapanadze were detained after they had been discharged from the hospital. According to her, 6 other people also were detained. The Ministry of Internal Affairs did not confirm this information.

According to lawyer Gela Nikoleishvili, two people still remain in detention; they are Levan Loliashvili and Dato Kapanadze, suspected for hooliganism. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is still looking for other suspects regarding this incident, but the Ministry has not announced their names. Lawyer Gela Nikoleishvili met the suspects in detention. According to him, the detainees went through a medical examination and had bruises all over their bodies. They had been injured in a clash, but also had been beaten after having been detained. You still can see blood on their bodies. The suspects deny the accusation against them and do not plead guilty.

The two representatives of the demonstrators and the security officers who had been injured in a clash in Purtseladze Street later were taken to the Central Hospital. According to official information, the representatives of the opposition detained at the Ministry of Internal Ministry an officer who was recording the rally by video camera. The participants of the protest rally forced him to one of the main entrance of the building and assaulted him. The officer of the Ministry managed to call the Patrol Police and asked them for help.

According to unofficial information, the incident happened in a different way. According to Jaba Jishkariani, a supporter of the opposition, the clash had been incited by the representatives of SOD, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He claims, the reason for the clash was the fact that the officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs coming from Purtseladze Street began to overturn tents and beat the people there which caused aggression from the demonstrators.

According to official information as a result of the clash 13 people were taken to the hospital. Among them are 5 policemen who are injured not by fire arms. Now the condition of their health is normal. All of them were discharged from hospital except two policemen Ramaz Shiukashvili and Vaxtang Bochorishvili. According to the opposition, dozens of the demonstrators were injured in the clash.

We cannot claim anything about, or blame anybody or any group of people for, inciting the incident because the participants in the clash have different versions about the facts. The fact remains that the incident took place and as a result both sides were injured. We also know that there are two wounded policemen. It is obvious that masked men in civil uniforms using truncheons took the responsibility to “calm down” the aggressive demonstrators. (However they should not have become aggressive about the fact that their tents were overturned or they were photographed by video camera). According to the legislation, making physical attacks on the masked men in civil uniforms can be considered as self-defense carried out by demonstrators. However the demonstrators in self-defense went beyond their right to defend themselves in using arms during the clash.

According to the opposition parties, one of the reasons for the incident can be connected to the Patriarch’s speech calling upon the government to begin a dialogue with the opposition and to hold snap elections. “After the speech the government officials were outraged and stated that the opposition supporters had assaulted the policemen,” said Kakha Kukava, a member of the opposition. According to him, the video records are being reviewed to make it clear that the policemen, the representatives of the National Party and deputies from the majority party were taking part in this incident.

The opposition is planning to take strict measures about the detention of the demonstrators and they will express their protest by using mass media and by holding protest rallies as well.