Lawyer: When they have hundreds of cases where citizens were not only beaten but tortured, investigative bodies haven’t even shown the slightest interest in requesting information; Testimonies show that if there is political will, it is possible to identify every one of them

“For years, there have been crackdowns and the disproportionate use of force against activists. We see employees of the Special Tasks Department and individuals dressed in black who have no identifying marks. Testimonies show that if there is political will, it is entirely possible to identify all of them,” said Tornike Migineishvili, the lawyer for Andro Chichinadze, after a court hearing where employees of the Special Tasks Department gave testimony.

According to Tornike Migineishvili, the Special Tasks Department employees clearly and unequivocally stated that they have specific numbers for identification.

“There was nothing new in the victims’ statements; they reiterated the same things they said seven months ago. But what was interesting is that these individuals clearly and without any room for interpretation stated that they have specific numbers for identification. Some of them even named their numbers. They noted that this is not random, and moreover, there is a specific document kept somewhere in the Special Tasks Department. This raises the issue that while the guys are being accused of fabricated charges of organized group violence, the Special Investigative Service and other agencies have hundreds of cases where citizens were not only beaten but tortured. In such cases, no investigative body has shown any desire or intent to request this information. They haven’t identified these individuals, but it’s also interesting where exactly these numbers are written and to what extent, because if they don’t appear on video or are written in a place only the individual knows, the purpose of this is somewhat difficult to understand. When we see on television how they commit violence, the testimonies show that if there is political will, it is entirely possible to identify all of them,” the lawyer stated.

For reference, during the protest rallies near the Parliament, 11 individuals were detained on charges of participating in group violence.

The detainees—Andro Chichinadze, Onise Tskhadadze, Jano Archaia, Ruslan Sivakov, Luka Jabua, Guram Mirtskhulava, Valeri Tetrashvili, Giorgi Terishvili, Irakli Kerashvili, Revaz Kinadze, and Sergei Kukharchuk—were charged under Article 225, Part 2 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which pertains to participation in group violence.

This offense carries a penalty of imprisonment ranging from 4 to 6 years.