According to Gela Khasaia, a member of the party “Girchi – More Freedom,” he was subjected to inhuman treatment during his arrest.
He also stated that the arrest protocol incorrectly indicated the time of his detention.
Khasaia says that at the station, he was stripped twice, and police officers mocked and threatened him.
“The time of arrest is incorrect. It was around 10:00–11:00 p.m. when they took me near my house. Inhuman treatment also happened after the arrest…
How the arrest happened: I left the rally around 9:30 p.m. I went down to the metro and got out at Station Square, heading toward Dadiani Street. As soon as I crossed the road, I went into a shop. When I came out, a Škoda car stopped in front of me. About 10 people surrounded me. One of them grabbed my wrist and tried to snatch my phone. I managed to lock it. After that, I stopped resisting. They never explained who they were or what they wanted – they just shoved me into the car.
In the car, they told me they were from the police station. I recognized one of them from the rallies. He told me: ‘Didn’t I promise you I’d arrest you in blood? Well, I kept my word.’ I don’t remember his last name, but I will find out.
I think the station was in the Marjanishvili area. They took me inside, where there were about 20 police officers. They didn’t tell me why I was there or what I was being arrested for. They stripped me. I thought that was the end of it, but they did the same thing again, only in another room. There were mocking conversations. They mentioned Mzia Amaglobe and also my friend, Saba Sxvitaridze, saying, ‘You’re both violent people.’
They demanded information from me. When they realized I wasn’t going to say anything, they took me into another room, where there was one policeman and an investigator.
They told me I was being charged under Article 120, Part 2,” – Khasaia said.
At Tbilisi City Court, a hearing is being held regarding the measure of restraint against Gela Khasaia, a member of “Girchi – More Freedom,” and another detainee, charged with intentional infliction of less serious injury to health, committed by a group.
According to the investigation, on September 1 in Tbilisi, near King Tamar Avenue, the defendants intentionally inflicted bodily harm on the victim as a group. Law enforcement officers arrested them on September 29. They have been charged under Article 118, Part 2 of the Georgian Criminal Code (intentional infliction of less serious bodily harm, committed by a group), which carries a prison sentence of 4 to 6 years.
Gela Khasaia: During my arrest, they did not explain who they were – They shoved me into a car – The inhuman treatment continued even after the arrest – at the station, they stripped me I thought it was over, but they did the same thing again in another room – There were mocking conversations
