Georgia must investigate use of force by police during demonstrations: Experts

Independent human rights experts* today urged the Government of Georgia to take concrete measures to prevent further violence and to investigate allegations of excessive use of force by law enforcement officials, torture and ill-treatment, and arbitrary detention of peaceful demonstrators and media workers during protests that erupted in the country in November and December 2024.

“We have received allegations of intentional physical violence, threats, intimidation and retaliation against peaceful protesters, human rights defenders and journalists by law enforcement officials in Georgia, as well as by others without uniforms or identifying insignia,” the experts said.

They stressed that the scale of these allegations and the gravity of the harm reportedly inflicted on protesters and those later detained may constitute torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

“The information we have received suggests that these incidents may not have been isolated and point to command responsibility,” the experts said.

There are credible reports that the police fired rubber bullets, used water cannons, pepper spray and other chemical irritants indiscriminately against the demonstrators. Hundreds of people were reportedly injured, with an unusually high proportion suffering serious head and facial injuries.

Many protesters were reportedly arrested and denied access to a lawyer or to inform their families of their whereabouts. “We have received disturbing information that many detainees have been verbally abused, subjected to prolonged and repeated beatings, threatened with rape or the breaking of body parts, and denied medical care,” the experts said.

They noted that the Special Investigation Service of Georgia has launched an investigation into the events reported in recent months. “To date, this investigation does not appear to have produced any outcome, while many protesters remain in detention,” they said.

“Given the gravity of these events, we expect the Georgian authorities to authorise independent, impartial, transparent and effective investigations in accordance with international standards,” the experts said. “Anyone arbitrarily detained should be released, and those in need of medical attention must be provided with it.”

The experts recalled that any use of force by security forces must comply with the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, precaution and non-discrimination, and must be strictly regulated in accordance with applicable international standards. The right to life and to physical and psychological integrity must be given the highest priority, they said.

“We ask the Government to report on concrete measures taken to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment including during peaceful assemblies and in places of detention,” they said.

The experts have written to the Georgian government on this matter and will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Dr. Alice Jill Edwards, Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; Mr. Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial summary or arbitrary executions; Ms. Gina Romero, Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association; Ms. Mary Lawlor, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Ms. Irene Khan, Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Ms. Margaret Satterthwaite, Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers.

Special Rapporteurs/Independent Experts/Working Groups are independent human rights experts appointed by the United Nations Human Rights Council. Together, these experts are referred to as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. While the UN Human Rights office acts as the secretariat for Special Procedures, the experts serve in their individual capacity and are independent from any government or organization, including OHCHR and the UN. Any views or opinions presented are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the UN or OHCHR. Country-specific observations and recommendations by the UN human rights mechanisms, including the special procedures, the treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review, can be found on the Universal Human Rights Index https://uhri.ohchr.org/en/

UN Human Rights, Country Page – Georgia

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