Categories
Journalistic Survey
Articles
Reportage
Analitic
Photo Reportage
Exclusive
Interview
Foreign Media about Georgia
Editorial
Position
Reader's opinion
Blog
Themes
Children's Rights
Women's Rights
Justice
Refugees/IDPs
Minorities
Media
Army
Health
Corruption
Elections
Education
Penitentiary
Religion
Others

Members of the Youth Movement “Why?” Often Have Been Threatened

July 15, 2009

Phrase: Giorgi Bekauri, ruthlessly beaten in the police station on June 15, still is threatened

Tamar Khutsishvili

Giorgi Bekauri is still threatened. Several days ago, three strangers met him near his residence and insulted him.

“It was about 5:00 pm when I noticed a car near the stadium close to my house. It was silver Mercedes but I did not think anything was suspicious about it. When I passed by the car I heard “hey, guy come here” and when I turned back one of the three people who were sitting in the car got out of the car. I recognized him at once. He was one of those people who ruthlessly beat me in the police station. He asked if I recognized him and I nodded. “Since June 15 you have been on TV all the time giving interviews to various companies. Why are you speaking so much?” He asked me if he had beaten me and I said yes. Then another person got out of the car and started to curse and insult me. Later they ordered me to go home but I reached my house by a roundabout route. Afterwards, my friend told me the car was following me. That day I survived because people were in the yard; otherwise they could have beaten med or kidnapped me.”

Giorgi Bekauri is one of the victims who were beaten on June 15 during the clash near the police station. He is still taking medical treatment because of injuries he sustained during the dispersal. On June 15 he was taken to Ghudushauri hospital for a brain concussion; he has about 60 stitches and various injuries on the body. His final recovery has been delayed by the trauma to his leg that gets swollen from time to time and does not allow him to walk.

A short time before the dispersal on June 15 five strangers attacked Giorgi Bekauriclose to the office of the National Movement in the Gldani district of Tbilisi and beat him. “I was going home from a rehearsal for a folk music program.

It was midnight. 5 strangers blocked my way and started beating and cursing me. They threatened me for attending the rallies and tore my clothes; they thought I was wearing a t-shirt of the youth movement “Why?” but unfortunately I was not. They tried to seize my fanduri (Georgian musical instrument) but I resisted. Finally, they seized money; but did not like my mobile phone and returned it,” said Giorgi Bekauri.

The other members of the “Why?” learned about the incident later and thought it was too late to inform the general society about it. Unfortunately, the members of the youth movement are often persecuted. Natia Kobalia, a member of the movement, connects the increased intimidation with the groups appeal to the court.

The youth movement demands the punishment of those people who beat demonstrators on June 15 in front of the Police Main Department. “We want to pursue this incident to the end and send it to the Strasbourg Court if Georgia violates the European Convention. This persecution intimidates our members. Particularly complicated is the case of Bekauri because he was beaten with extreme cruelty. Supporters of the harassers try to compel the victims to refuse to investigate the incidents. However, they cannot succeed because everybody will be punished for the crime,” said Natia Kobalia.

“I want only one thing to secure the punishment every person who beat demonstrators ruthlessly. I do not mean only myself; many other people were severely beaten together with me there. Offenders shall be punished,” said Giorgi Bekauri and he added that no intimidation will make him change his mind.

News