Panuashvili: attacks on oppositionists in Georgia become a trend

These days in Tbilisi, attacks on activists of the opposition have become more frequent, as Soso Panuashvili, expert of the Tbilisi branch of the organization named "Human Rights", who is holding everyday monitoring of civil disobedience actions of the opposition, said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"We already have a tendency; we can state that certain persons dressed in civil clothes attack activists. Yesterday there were several such incidents," said Mr Panuashvili. According to his story, he met the person who was kidnapped yesterday at his own house.

"He just went out of his house and took his Toyota Land Cruiser. It was at 11:30 a.m. Suddenly, four men in black T-shirts and jeans, without any identification symbols, in masks on their heads, came up to his car, dragged him out, beat, struck his face with a pistol, pushed him onto the back seat, and drove somewhere, having put a bandage on the victim's eyes. His questions: 'What do you want from me? Where do you take me?' remained unanswered. He was taken some 60 kilometres away from Tbilisi into the forest. They took everything away from him. They left him in the forest without trousers and shoes, without everything," Mr Panuashvili said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. According to his story, the kidnapped man of 30 was actively visiting the rallies of the opposition, however, he was not an activist of any party or movement.

"Yesterday, we were called at night and reported that someone was beaten near the Kura River. It was at about 1:30 a.m. The eyewitness of the attack, who called us, was a woman, a taxi driver. Further, same as in the previous kidnapping: four persons in masks, who arrived in a Mercedes, dragged two passengers out of the car they had stopped and beat severely. Then, they hijacked the car together with the people who were inside. And although the victims were soon released, the car was taken away and not found till now," said Panuashvili.

At the same time, in reply to these incidents, oppositionists have organized self-defence groups in the context of frequent cases of physical violence against supporters and activists of the opposition.

Let us note here that at present, according to the count of incidents known to the "Caucasian Knot", at least 10 persons have suffered as a result of attacks on oppositionists in Georgia. Last night, near the President's residence in Avlabari (near Tbilisi), two participants of the protest actions of the opposition were beaten. At the yesterday's information meeting, David Gamkrelidze, leader of the "New Right-Wingers" reported that yesterday, at about 4:00 p.m., unidentified persons kidnapped a members of his party named David Udzhmadzhuridze, beat him severely and burnt his car down.

Earlier it was reported that on April 14 in Tbilisi, near the President's residence, three members of oppositional parties - Gizo Sartaniya, Gamlet Gulordava and Malkhaz Charkviani - were beaten. On that very day, popular Georgian singer, who took part in the actions of the opposition, Zurab Mandzhavidze was beaten. Also on April 14, Vakhtang Lagidze, Director General of the company "Coca-Cola Bottlers of Georgia", was severely beaten. His wife - Maka Tavamaishvili - told journalists that he was attacked by unidentified persons in Chavchavadze Avenue on his way home in the evening from an oppositional action.

Let us note here that many facts of recent attacks and beatings of supporters of the opposition by the persons whom the police fail to identify were also given by Georgian Ombudsman Sozar Subari. He called the MIA bosses to react immediately to these facts and detain the criminal groupings attacking peaceful citizens.

According to Mr Subari, the attacks continued in Tbilisi on supporters of the opposition resemble the situation in November 2007, when before the violent dispersal of a peaceful rally there were similar attacks and beatings of supporters of the opposition.

According to Georgian political scientist Paata Zakreishvili, "now in Tbilisi all is quiet, but before, there were skirmishes." "The police keep the distance, allowing protesters to directly voice out their positions," the expert has noted. "However, there is a danger that the authorities will send certain hooligan young guys instructed to start skirmishes. Unfortunately, these are not only my thoughts. Those in power want to warm up the situation, probably, arrange some knifing. And then, the police should interfere and stop all this."