According to the Public Defender, Levan Ioseliani, representatives of the Ombudsman have visited a total of 573 persons detained at rallies, out of which 302 persons indicated alleged ill-treatment, 194 suffered injuries. Of the detainees visited, 49 were women and 2 were minors.

Ioseliani made the relevant statement while presenting a report at the plenary session.

According to him, from March 1, 2025 to February 20, 2026, the Public Defender's representatives visited 131 persons detained during protests in temporary detention centers/penitentiary institutions, of whom 35 (26.7%) indicated alleged ill-treatment by police officers, and 17 detainees were injured.

"It is noteworthy that during the protests in 2025, compared to 2024, the number of arrests of activists and alleged ill-treatment of protest participants has decreased, which is significantly related to the reduction in the scale of the protests. Despite this, a number of detainees indicated the fact of ill-treatment, including humiliating treatment, towards them," the Public Defender noted.

During his speech in Parliament, the Public Defender also spoke about the investigation into the alleged ill-treatment revealed during the protest rallies held in 2024 and noted that at the time of the report's presentation, no criminal prosecution has been initiated against any law enforcement officer for the ill-treatment facts revealed in the context of the rallies held in 2024.

“However, it is welcome that according to the Prosecutor’s Office’s statement of May 8, 2026, 4 special forces officers and 1 security police officer detained in connection with the violence against Zviad Maisashvili, Levan Khabeishvili and Guram Rogava during the protests held in 2024 have been charged.

It is important that this trend continues and that the ongoing criminal cases are investigated with the correct legal classification, that all necessary investigative and procedural actions are carried out to identify the perpetrators of the crime, both law enforcement officials and individual citizens, and to initiate criminal prosecution against them;

In addition, it is necessary to study the facts of alleged ill-treatment committed during the protests within a tight timeframe, in the reporting year, and to establish the nature of the crime. If signs are identified, a thorough and objective investigation should be conducted," the Public Defender said.