Georgian Public Defender says attacks for having “different or critical” opinions are “unacceptable”

The attacks on people for having “different or critical opinions” are “inadmissible and unacceptable”, Georgian Public Defender Levan Ioseliani said on Tuesday regarding recent assaults on several persons.

According to the media reports, earlier today, Giorgi Kldiashvili, the Executive Director of the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information and the Formula TV camera crew were assaulted during an interview.

Vladimer Apkhazava, a civic education teacher and winner of the 2017 National Teacher Prize, was also physically assaulted in the western Georgian city of Lanchkhuti on Sunday. The Interior Ministry on Monday said it had launched an investigation into the incident.

Ioseliani called on the Ministry and the Special Investigation Service to conduct “a timely and effective” investigation into each case and to take “strict legal measures” against the liable persons.

It is important in each named case for the investigative agencies to determine the motive of the violent actions and its possible connection with the victims’ professional activities or their critical opinions, while in case such a connection is proved, the violent actions should be given an appropriate legal assessment”, he noted.

The Public Defender added his Office would supervise the response of the law enforcement agencies to the incidents.