Georgian Interior Ministry rejects reports of violence against US citizen during transparency bill protests

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia on Friday rejected media reports that said a United States citizen had been subjected to law enforcement violence during recent public protests against the controversial domestic law on transparency of foreign influence in the country’s capital Tbilisi.

The body said the media reports involved Daryl Scholz claiming he had suffered “multiple injuries to his face and head”, with the Ministry claiming he had made no request for medical assistance to the Emergency Response Coordination and Urgent Assistance Centre and Emergency Assistance of the Ministry of Health.

The emergency medical aid crew did not transport Scholz to any medical institutions from the locations of the reported incidents and he was not admitted to any medical institution for treatment”, the Ministry added.

It also said the Emergency Response Centre had also not received calls for assistance related to the individual “during the past month”, adding Scholz had been “neither detained by the [police] nor transferred to a temporary detention centre”.

The Ministry also noted the US Embassy had contacted the body for clarification following the reports as they “were not aware of the alleged incident”.

Protests have been ongoing in the country against the law that calls for registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.