The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) has addressed the General Prosecutor's Office of Georgia, urging it to initiate criminal prosecution against Zviad Kharazishvili and suspend his authority.

According to GYLA, the footage confirms that Zviad Kharazishvili, the head of the Special State Protection Service, directly participated in the abuse of a detainee, leading him away with law enforcement officers.

The statement highlights that the Ministry of Internal Affairs continues to use inappropriate treatment against peaceful demonstrators, which is absolutely prohibited and has become a regular practice of the police.

GYLA also explains that considering the demonstration only caused a temporary disruption of traffic on one major highway, this should not be considered as “blocking the highway” or a disruption severe enough to justify the police's use of force against the protest, as it was not of a criminal nature.

The statement further criticizes the police's actions and notes that law enforcement continues to violate the rights of peaceful protesters, including verbal abuse directed particularly at women, which is alarming, especially in light of the growing statistics of violence against women in the country.

GYLA calls on the Special Investigative Service to immediately investigate all incidents related to the abuse and inappropriate treatment of activists. It also urges the General Prosecutor of Georgia, Giorgi Gabitashvili, to take effective procedural leadership over the investigation and immediately inform the public about the actions taken regarding the recent events.

In addition, GYLA demands criminal prosecution of Zviad Kharazishvili and the suspension of his authority, as footage clearly shows his involvement in the violence against the detained individual, and the repeated systemic crimes committed by employees of the Special Assignments Department during the November-December protests are grounds for his accountability as the head of the department.