Tbilisi, Georgia – In a disturbing display of escalating violence, government-paid thugs known as titushky recently launched a raid on the office of the opposition Coalition for Change political alliance. During the raid, members of the coalition, Koba Khabazi and Data Petridis, were brutally beaten. Journalist Maka Chikhladze and cameraman Giorgi Shetsiruli from TV Pirveli were also attacked while attempting to cover the incident.
The attack occurred on December 7, at around 11 am, coinciding with a protest rally against the ruling party’s reversal on the EU accession process and increasing repression. Footage captured before the titushky stormed the opposition office revealed a coordinated effort between the police and the thugs, raising questions about potential collaboration.
After barging into the office, over 20 government-funded thugs assaulted members of the Coalition for Change who were present, throwing them to the ground and violently kicking them. The violence also extended to the TV Pirveli crew, with journalist Maka Chikhladze and cameraman Giorgi Shetsiruli facing brutal attacks by the assailants.
Despite the presence of patrol police in the vicinity, witnesses noted a lack of intervention during the violent assault. The Special Investigation Service launched an investigation into the incident, although initial observations reported no police or SIS presence at the scene hours after the attack.
Following the assault, officials from the ruling party denied any involvement, attributing the attack to instigation by the opposition. In response, the President of Georgia condemned the violence, denouncing the ruling party’s tactics as a means to incite chaos and unrest.
The assault on members of the Coalition for Change and TV Pirveli journalists underscores a pattern of police violence and targeted attacks against journalists in recent protests. The incident takes on added significance given journalist Maka Kikhladze’s recent investigative report detailing the actions of a controversial figure involved in violent crackdowns on demonstrators in Tbilisi.
As tensions escalate, concerns mount over the safety of media personnel and the broader implications of government-backed violence against dissent. Follow-ups on the incident and related developments can be found in the ongoing Chronicle of Repression.