“Fundamental freedoms, freedom of expression, media and assembly must be fully protected,” said Alain Berset, Secretary General of the Council of Europe (CoE) at the press conference summing up his visit to Georgia.

“Violence is not acceptable against demonstrators and journalists. A number of alerts were sent through our platform, concerning the protection of journalism, and the safety of journalists, as threats increased we have seen some cases of brutal attacks against media professionals.

I called on the Georgian authorities to, First, refrain from the use of disproportional force; Second, rapidly carry out an independent, transparent and effective investigation and ensure that all those responsible are held to account; Third, release all those detained on the administrative rule. I welcomed the assurances I received with due respect.

From 18 to 29 December this year, the CoE’s Committee for Prevention of Torture (CPT) visited Georgia. During the visit, the delegation examined the treatment and safeguards of persons in police custody including those detained during ongoing public demonstrations in Tbilisi. Early next week, the CPT will share its preliminary findings with the authorities.

We expect the government to act upon them as soon as possible. The follow-up visit by the CPT may come in the coming weeks,” he said.