Justice and accountability cannot be achieved by charging five police officers alone - Amnesty International

Denis Krivosheev, Deputy Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at Amnesty International, has responded to reports that five law enforcement officers have been arrested and charged in connection with attacks on three people during anti-government protests in Georgia in 2024.

“The issue of accountability for the widespread abuse of force by police in suppressing peaceful protests against protesters, journalists and government critics since 2024 cannot be resolved by the arrest of just five law enforcement officers, especially after a 17-month delay. Amnesty International has documented dozens of cases of unlawful use of force, alleged torture and other ill-treatment, and serious injuries – including fractures – against people who were simply exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Hundreds of protesters have reported such treatment. Justice means holding all of these cases accountable.

These five arrests alone do not change the broader picture of impunity in Georgia, nor the fact that dozens of cases of torture and other ill-treatment remain without effective investigation.

The Prosecutor General’s investigation should extend to all those who may be held responsible, including those who gave orders and failed to fulfill their duty to prevent human rights violations. It is necessary to hold accountable the entire chain of command and all high-profile cases of illegal police actions,” said Denis Krivosheev.

For information, on May 7, 2026, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Georgia announced that five current and former law enforcement officers had been detained in connection with the violence against protester Zviad Maisashvili, politician Levan Khabeishvili, and journalist Guram Rogava during the 2024 protests. All five are charged with “violent abuse of official authority.” One of them is additionally charged with “illegal interference with the professional activities of a journalist, which resulted in injury to health or other serious consequences.” The charges carry a prison sentence of five to eight years.

The statement was preceded by an investigative report by TV Formula, which, based on sources in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, named the alleged attacker of Guram Rogava. At the time, Guram Rogava was a journalist for Formula and was beaten while covering protests on November 29, 2024.

Amnesty International and local monitoring organizations have documented that during peaceful protests in November-December 2024, Georgian police indiscriminately used rubber bullets, tear gas, pepper spray, and water cannons against demonstrators. Others were beaten and subjected to violence that amounted to violations of the absolute prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment, including in police vehicles known as “torture vans.” More than 300 detainees reported severe physical abuse, and more than 80 required hospitalization for concussions, fractures, and bone fractures. Many detainees were taken to unknown locations, denied access to lawyers and family members, and denied medical care and emergency surgery.