Members of Irakli Okruashvili’s Political Party Are Beaten with Truncheons in Gori

Tea Tedliashvili, Gori

On April 25, late at night, Giorgi Matinmenko, leader of the Gori district youth branch of the Political Movement for the United Georgia, Giorgi was attacked by four unidentified people and beaten with truncheons in the entrance to his house. The masked people did not tell Martinenko what they were demanding from him or why they were beating him. The harassers stopped beating him after the neighbors went out in the yard upon hearing the shouting of the young man.

Giorgi Matinmenko said: “On April 25 I was coming from the village. I had had a party in the restaurant “Orbi” with my friends. Having left the restaurant we walked toward the building of the district administration. Then one of my friends and I went to the Chala Settlement in Gori. I was only twenty meters from my house when I separated from my friend. I walked another 15 meters and then a car stopped behind me in the darkness. Four masked people got out of the car. They were wearing ordinary masks like special unit members usually wear. I managed to run 3 meters but they hit me with truncheons. I fell down; they were beating me for about 30 seconds. Neighbors went out in the yard upon hearing my shouting and the attackers left me alone. They ran towards the Kvernaki settlement in Gori.” Giorgi Matinmenko added that the attackers were driving a dark car although because of darkness he could not make out the exact color of the car.

Martinkmenko said: “The car was either black or dark blue or dark green; I cannot tell the exact color. It was a Volkswagen Passage. The number plates were not lit but I noticed O or Q among the state numbers. Today the police had come to my house but family members were not at home. They asked the neighbors to inform me that I was called to the police station. I have already submitted the complaint to the office of the Public Defender. I have been oppressed since September of 2007 because I did not support the National Movement, the ruling party, and instead supported Orkuashvili, former Defense Minister of Georgia. I was beaten on September 11 and 12 of 2007 when the local authority was replaced. Since that time the officials from the police department have been warning me against joining the political activities. I attended the rallies on April 9, 10 and 11 but after that I was in Gori and have not travelled to Tbilisi after April 12. Apparently, the current rallies became the reason for beating me.”

A Member of the Okruashvili’s party reported that the car was not waiting for Giorgi Martinenko near his house. Giorgi Martinenko said:  “They knew where I was and that I was going to return home. There was only one taxi at the cross-road but suddenly another car approached me from the behind. They were angry with me for not having supported the National Movement in 2007. I was head of theYouth Department by that time. After that, I was threatened by former the regional governor of Shida Kartli, Lado Gegelashvili, and then his successor Lado Vardzelashvili continued the threats. In 2007 when the local authority was changed in Gori I could go to my hometown for four months because they might have arrested me. Afterwards, I was allowed to return to Gori if I did not support the opposition parties.”

One of the leaders of the Political Movement for the United Georgia, Teo Tlashadze, stated that Martinenko had been oppressed since 2007. Teo Tlashadze said:  “Yesterday, our organization held a briefing where we announced that our party members are systematically attacked, including members of our youth branch. Armed people attacked Martinenko at the entrance to his house. Giorgi has been a member of our party since it was founded. In 2007 when the local authority was changed in Gori special unit members physically assaulted him. Since that time Martinenko has been threatened, oppressed and blackmailed. The officials of the Security Service demand that he cooperate with them in secret or else he would have been attacked”

According to Tlashadze, Giorgi Martinenko has his head broken and has many bruises on his body. “If the police had wished they could have investigated the incident, but now they just claim that nobody appealed to them regarding the incident,” said Tlashadze