17 Detained During Eviction Operation in Tbilisi's Africa Settlement
All were charged with administrative offenses for disobeying police orders. Under
amended legislation
, the offense is punishable by a fine ranging from GEL 2,000 (about USD 740) to GEL 5,000 (about USD 1,845), or by up to 60 days of imprisonment.
Tensions
flared
on Tvalchrelidze Street, where the National Enforcement Bureau carried out evictions from a building it described as unsafe, privately owned, and illegally occupied.
The eviction, which took place amid a large police deployment, reportedly affected more than 100 families according to unofficial estimates, and continued until midnight. Heavy machinery was later deployed to
demolish
the buildings. Dramatic images emerged from the scene, showing confrontation, arguments, and families, including children, sitting with their furniture and belongings and watching the eviction process from outside in desperation.
Officials claimed only 39 families lived in the building permanently, while others started renovating to claim compensation. Authorities and pro-government media outlets said residents had been offered assistance. Among those evicted were reportedly dozens of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Residents, however, said more families were affected, and many had nowhere else to go, accusing officials and ruling Georgian Dream mouthpieces of spreading false information, including about the assistance they were offered. One resident
accused
pro-GD broadcasters Imedi and Rustavi 2 of offering money to others in exchange for recording a prewritten statement claiming they had been treated fairly.
The Social Justice Center, a local human rights watchdog,
criticized
what it described as the state's 'anti-social policy,' saying that 'while the state must protect public safety, human life and health, and the interests of private owners, it should not violate the dignity and other rights of families through harsh eviction practices or by leaving them without shelter.'
The group stressed that 'a fair balance between private and public interests must be ensured,' saying the authorities failed to uphold this standard by favoring the building owner and 'failing to guarantee the rights and interests of hundreds of socially protected persons on the ground.'
The organization highlighted human rights violations during the eviction, calling the lack of alternative housing for displaced families the 'most acute problem.' It also raised concerns about the eviction's conduct, citing forced removals and police violence.
Also Read:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
OC Media
a day ago
- OC Media
Georgian court acquits protester Giorgi Akhobadze of drug charges
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article The Caucasus is changing — and not for the better. With authoritarianism on the rise across the region, the threat to independent journalism is higher than ever. Join our community and help push back against the hardliners. Become a member Georgian doctor Giorgi Akhobadze has been acquitted of drug charges seen by many as political retribution for his protesting against the government. Tbilisi City Court announced the verdict on Wednesday, hours after media founder and outspoken government critic Mzia Amaghlobeli was sentenced to two years in prison. Despite the lengthy jail term she received, the judge in Amaghlobeli's case unexpectedly downgraded the charges against her; she previously faced a possible 7-year term. Akhobadze was detained on 7 December during the early stages of the ongoing anti-government protests, as he was returning home from a demonstration in central Tbilisi. Akhobadze, a doctor by profession and a specialist in anesthesiology and intensive care, was charged with criminal drug possession under an article that carries a sentence of 8–20 years or life imprisonment. Reporting from his trial earlier in August, RFE/RL said prosecutors had failed to produce conclusive evidence in Akhobadze's guilt, such as video evidence. Akhobadze himself said drugs had been planted on him by police. During the trial, he testified that while going home from the protest, he was surrounded by a group of police officers who restrained him and placed an object in his pocket. On 25 July, during his closing statement, Akhobadze said that his detention was an act of 'revenge' carried out by 'cowardly, frightened people serving the Russian regime', referring to Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party. Advertisement 'They think they've taken away my freedom, but all they've done is shrink my battlefield. No one can limit my freedom, and no one can take it from me', he concluded. Over a month after Akhobadze's detention, his mother, a palliative care patient whom he had previously been taking care of, passed away. Akhobadze is one of several protesters whose cases raised concerns about the possible fabrication of drug charges by the authorities. In February, Transparency International Georgia listed Akhobadze, along with Nika Katsia — also detained during the protests — and Anton Chechin, a Russian citizen jailed during the same period, as protesters who had drugs planted on them by Georgian police. Katsia and Chechin's trials are ongoing. The group said that the ruling Georgian Dream party sought to discredit the protest movement by 'fabricating' drug charges against protesters, political opponents, and civil activists. Alongside Chechin, two other Russian citizens were also detained on drug charges during the protests — Artem Gribul and Anastasia Zinovkina, a couple living in Tbilisi. They denied the allegations and linked the charges to their participation in Georgia's anti-government protests. The latest wave of protests in Georgia began on 28 November, when Georgian Dream announced the suspension of the country's EU membership bid. The first phase of demonstrations saw heavy clashes and brutal police violence against protesters and journalists. Hundreds of people have been detained, with criminal cases launched in over 50 instances. Several protesters have already been convicted and sentenced to years in prison. Their release — along with calls for new parliamentary elections — has become one of the demonstrators' central demands.
Civil.ge
2 days ago
- Civil.ge
Doctor and Activist Acquitted of Drug Charges in First Not-Guilty Verdict Tied to Current Protests
Giorgi Akhobadze, a 44-year-old doctor and civic activist, was acquitted of heavy drug charges, marking the first not-guilty verdict in dozens of ongoing criminal trials of those detained in the context of protests since November 2024. He was released from the courtroom after eight months in pre-trial custody. Cheers erupted in the corridors of Tbilisi City Court on August 6, as Judge Romeo Tkeshelashvili finally delivered a long-delayed ruling, more than ten days after the initial verdict announcement was expected. Earlier that day, Batumi City Court sentenced journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli to two years in prison, reclassifying the original criminal charges of assaulting a police officer. Together, the two rulings may signal a significant retreat from the Georgian judiciary's previously uncompromising approach to protest-related cases. 'Fight till the end!' – Akhobadze said in his first media remarks in the courtyard after his release, thanking journalists and supporters. He said he had some anticipation of the positive ruling with 'foolish optimism.' He vowed not to stop, saying that 'it is impossible for this country to become Russia and remain in Russian hands.' Akhobadze, a prominent figure with a strong social media following due to his civic activism, was arrested on December 7, 2024, while driving home from a pro-EU rally on Rustaveli Avenue. Prosecution, led by Shmagi Gobejishvili, alleged that Akhobadze had illegally obtained more than three grams of the synthetic drug Alpha-PVP. He was charged under Article 260 of the Criminal Code with the illegal purchase and possession of a large quantity of narcotics, an offense punishable by 8 to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment. Akhobadze had denied the charges, claiming the drugs were planted and that he was targeted for his political activism. According to the prosecution, police stopped and searched Akhobadze based on operational information detailed in a report compiled four to five hours before the arrest. The report claimed that Akhobadze might have been in possession of narcotics. But Akhobadze's defense highlighted multiple flaws and inconsistencies in the prosecution's case. His lawyer, Lasha Tsutskiridze, told Radio Liberty that the arrest was unlawful, citing the police's failure to provide video documentation of the search or to involve a neutral witness, both procedures required when seizing illegal substances based on operational intelligence. According to Tsutskiridze, Akhobadze reported the presence of at least six police officers at the scene, contradicting the police report, which claimed officers lacked the technical and human resources to document the search. The defense further alleged evidence fabrication, citing Akhobadze's account that officers forcibly collected his saliva with their fingers upon detention. His other lawyer, Mariam Madzgarashvili, cited expert testimony confirming that a sample of Akhobadze's saliva was found on the drug packaging. According to the defense, this raised serious concerns that the evidence may have been deliberately tampered with, suggesting the possibility that officers artificially contaminated the package to link it to Akhobadze. Akhobadze's case was initially overseen by Judge Mikheil Jinjolia, but in a sudden move seven months after the arrest, he was replaced by Judge Romeo Tkeshelashvili on July 4. At the time of his detention, Akhobadze was the primary caretaker of his bedridden mother, who passed away in January, just a month after his arrest. Her death marked one of at least four instances in which individuals detained in protest- or opposition-related cases lost a parent while in custody. Five other protesters and activists are awaiting verdicts on similar drug-related charges, including journalist Nika Katsia, Tedo Abramov, Anastasia Zinovkina, Artem Gribul , and Anton Chechin . Zinovkina, Gribul, and Chechin are Russian citizens. They all allege politically motivated drug planting. The arrests on heavy drug charges have drawn significant scrutiny and criticism. Georgian civil society organizations monitoring the cases alleged in February that the Georgian Dream government sought to discredit the protest movement by targeting high-profile demonstrators with serious drug-related arrests. According to these groups, the arrests followed a consistent pattern: investigations initiated on unverified 'operative information' from undisclosed sources; testimonies relying solely on law enforcement officers and affiliated witnesses; and a lack of neutral observers or video recordings during searches. Akhobadze is the first person to be acquitted in a series of ongoing criminal cases among those detained in the context of protests that broke out following the disputed October 26 parliamentary elections. Nine people were given jail sentences before, including journalist Mzia Amaghlobeli , Anri Kakabadze , Anri Kvaratskhelia , Saba Jikia , Giorgi Mindadze , Mate Devidze , Denis Kulanin, Daniel Mumladze, and Guram Khutashvili . Seven more remain in prison after being convicted over their involvement in the spring 2024 protests against the foreign agents law, including Omar Okribelashvili, Saba Meparishvili, and Pridon Bubuteishvili, who were convicted in January, Davit Koldari, Giorgi Kuchuashvili, and Giorgi Okmelashvili , who were convicted in February , as well as Irakli Megvinetukhutsesi, convicted in December. Eight individuals, including six active opposition politicians, were recently sentenced to prison terms of several months for defying the Georgian Dream investigative commission. , a civic platform documenting the cases of detainees, currently lists over 60 persons who were jailed in 2024-2025 and are considered political prisoners. Also Read:
Civil.ge
3 days ago
- Civil.ge
Authorities Study Leasing Deal Between Khazaradze Family and German Ambassador
The Revenue Service of Georgia said it was studying 'possible violation of tax law' in a leasing deal between the family of Mamuka Khazaradze, jailed leader of the opposition Lelo/Strong Georgia coalition, and German Ambassador Peter Fischer. The statement follows reports by pro-Georgian Dream media that the German Ambassador was leasing a residence from Khazaradze's family, while it was 'unknown' whether there was a leasing agreement and whether Khazaradze's family was paying relevant taxes. Khazaradze's lawyers confirmed the deal, but said there was an agreement 'executed in compliance with all legal rules' and accused pro-GD media of spreading 'distorted information.' 'Following the information disseminated in the public domain, an analysis of the issue revealed a possible violation of tax law, which is why the Revenue Service has already begun investigating the facts and will conduct tax control measures specified by law in order to fully study the information,' the Revenue Service said in its August 4 statement , citing 'high public interest' in providing information about 'possible tax evasion' in the leasing deal betwen Khazaradze family and the German diplomat. Pro-government Rustavi 2 TV channel reported on August 1 that the German Ambassador's 'up to 300 square meter' residence on Kavlashvili Street in downtown Tbilisi belonged to Irina Khazaradze, the Lelo leader's wife. The channel claimed it was unclear whether a formal lease agreement existed and whether the Khazaradze family was paying income tax on the arrangement. Leaders of the ruling Georgian Dream party seized on the media reports, with GD Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze saying the ambassador 'put himself in an uncomfortable position and, more, he put his state, his Foreign Ministry, in an uncomfortable position.' 'Let us see, wait for the information regarding the finances, how the expenses were covered, taxes were paid, and so on, all of this is very interesting,' Kobakhidze told reporters in Shovi, Racha, on August 3. 'When you rent a residence from a leader of a certain political party and then you present yourself as a staunch supporter of this political party, it raises a lot more questions.' The lawyers of Khazaradze's family issued a statement on August 2, calling the 'distorted information' spread by the pro-government channel 'another propagandistic attack' both on Khazaradze's family and the German state. 'There is a notarized agreement (N221439682 / 21.10.2022) about leasing the property in possession of the Khazaradze family to the German Ambassador, executed in compliance with all legal rules,' the lawyers said. 'Any other, i.e., undocumented cooperation with the diplomatic representation of the German Federation is impossible!' Ambassador Fischer, a vocal critic of the Georgian Dream government's anti-democratic actions, has faced repeated attacks from the ruling party and its supporters, including public verbal insults . Other European diplomats, including the EU Ambassador, have likewise been targets of sustained accusations and attacks by the ruling party leadership, drawing condemnation from Brussels. This post is also available in: ქართული
