“Society has the right to live in a country where the police protect the citizen rather than commit violence against them, and where the government is accountable to the people rather than to its own power,” declared Giga Parulava, Deputy Chair of the parliamentary faction of the Gakharia for Georgia party, at a briefing.

“The violence that occurred in Gori demonstrates once again that the law enforcement system in this country acts against citizens rather than in their defence. Police officers have been allowed to develop a sense of total impunity, one that has been fostered over the years by the encouragement and deliberate concealment of abusive practices on the part of the authorities. This is precisely why we continue to witness incidents of violence such as this, and why there is every reason to fear they will continue in the future. Changing ministers cannot change the system when the system itself is built upon violence, corruption, and the intimidation of citizens. The ordinary person is left defenceless against police brutality on the one hand, and governmental corruption on the other. The police, whose duty it is to protect citizens, have in many instances themselves become a source of violence, whilst state institutions choose silence, rather than standing alongside the citizen. Particularly alarming is the fact that the promotion and appointment to senior positions of individuals who have faced sanctions sends a direct signal to law enforcement officers that violence and the abuse of authority carry no consequences. This creates a systemic problem, the results of which society witnesses every single day,” said Parulava.

He further stated that the incident in Gori is not an isolated case.

“This is a systemic crime, carried out collectively, with the participation of several individuals, and it demands a full, independent and transparent investigation. Every person involved must be identified and punished to the fullest extent of the law. It is equally essential that such individuals be permanently barred from serving within the law enforcement system. Society has the right to live in a country where the police protect the citizens rather than commit violence against them, and the government is accountable to the people rather than to its own power,” Parulava stated.

In connection with the incident that took place in Gori, during which Papuna Lochulashvili sustained physical injuries, the Prosecutor’s Office has arrested six individuals on charges of exceeding official authority through the use of violence by police officers.