On 19 November 2024, at dawn, the patrol police and criminal police departments, along with the Special Task Force of the Ministry of the Interior, implemented a crackdown operation against the peaceful demonstrators gathered in front of the Tbilisi State University building. 

For the last two days, the Georgian citizens were gathering in front of the Tbilisi State University Building to express their protest against the massively rigged parliamentary elections.

This morning, at about 7 am, the police forcibly pushed out the demonstrators from the place of their peaceful assembly. During this unlawful operation, the police arrested several persons, including the Mtavari Arkhi cameraman, Sergi Baramidze, who, in addition, was brutally beaten up by police officers. Another victim of physical violence was Mindia Gabadze, a journalist from Publika. Two more journalists, Mariam Nikuradze of OD Media and Givi Avaliani of Netgazeti were also subject to harassment.

It has become an established practice in the police operations to crack down on peaceful demonstrations grossly violating thereby the freedoms of assembly and expression.

We urge the Ministry of the Interior to act strictly within the limits of law, not to comply with the unlawful instructions of the ruling party, and to respect the fundamental rights and liberties of the peaceful demonstrators.

Transparency International Georgia

International Society for Fair Elections And Democracy (ISFED)

Civil Society Foundation