The attack on Onise Okriashvili is not an isolated case, it is the result of a violent environment created by the state - GYLA

The attack on Onise Okriashvili is not an isolated case - it is the result of a violent environment created by the state, which has been actively used for years against people critical of the Georgian Dream, - the Georgian Young Lawyers Association stated in a statement.

“On ​​July 22, 2026, activist and comedian Onise Okriashvili was attacked and physically assaulted by three people near his home. The attack was preceded by a coordinated media campaign lasting several days, both by various accounts on social networks and by state-run media.

The attack on Onise Okriashvili is not an isolated case. It is the result of a violent environment created by the state, which has been actively used for years against people critical of the Georgian Dream. The Georgian Dream first creates and then maintains a violent environment against its opponents, which, in combination with other forms of repression, poses significant challenges, including physical security.

The pro-government media plays a major role in coordinated campaigns encouraging violence, which, in fact, serves to identify and discredit the targets of violence in order to create a deterrent effect in society from exercising free expression, assembly, and other fundamental rights.

The report on repression in Georgia published by Amnesty International in June 2026 also In the report, Amnesty International speaks of at least 6 people who have been the target of physical violence as a result of a discrediting campaign since 2023,” the statement said.

For information, comedian Onise Okriashvili was physically assaulted. Later, Okriashvili stated that the physical assault was related to the events surrounding writer Nodar Dumbadze. The Ministry of Internal Affairs detained one person in connection with the physical violence that occurred.

We would also like to remind you that a few days ago, Onise Okriashvili spoke about writer Nodar Dumbadze in one of his podcasts, which was considered an insult by certain groups. Onise Okriashvili himself responded to this with a video address and stated that the video on the basis of which he is being “slandered” was taken out of context and did not insult the writer, but hypothetically He portrayed an absurd person whom Nodar Dumbadze despises.