“Those who are responsible for violence, for the brutality of the police, of special forces and those criminal gangs should be made accountable and the people who have been detained should be released as soon as possible,” stated the EU Ambassador to Georgia, Paweł Herczyński.

He emphasized that violence is completely unacceptable.

“Violence is absolutely unacceptable. On the 16th of December, we were celebrating International Day of Human Rights Defenders. I have met with a group of human rights defenders here in Georgia. What they have told me is that what is happening, the beatings that are especially happening after people are detained amount to torture. This is absolutely unacceptable. This needs to be stopped.

Those who are behind those beatings and especially those criminal gangs that we saw on the streets of Tbilisi last weekend, need to be investigated. Those who are responsible for violence, the brutality of the police, special forces and criminal gangs should be made accountable and the people who have been detained should be released as soon as possible. I know that some of them have been charged with administrative offences. Those people should be released as soon as possible,” the EU Ambassador remarked.