**Georgia‘s Police Use Excessive Force on Protesters**
The Georgian Association of Young Lawyers (GYLA) has found that police used excessive force against peaceful protesters in December. Thirty people were arrested, but the authorities and police officers who hurt them have not been punished.
GYLA says this is because there are no consequences for those who do wrong. The group also found that the courts were too harsh on some of the protesters. They imposed punishments, like imprisonment, without considering factors like age or health.
Many of those arrested were young, students, or from poor families. Some were even the main breadwinners for their families. GYLA says this is unfair and that the prosecution should have to justify why these people were punished so harshly.
The group also condemned the use of torture and mistreatment against protesters. Several people reported being beaten or threatened while in police custody.
**No Justice for Protesters**
GYLA says that judges are not taking violence against protesters seriously enough. In one case, a judge even questioned whether violence had occurred at all.
The organization also found that the prosecution did not have enough evidence to justify some of the charges brought against protesters. This has raised concerns about the misuse of power to silence people who speak out against the government.
**International Reaction**
The Public Defender in Georgia has warned about the conditions in detention centers, where torture and mistreatment are common. In response, international partners like Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Ukraine have imposed sanctions on Georgian officials responsible for the violence.
The UK government has also suspended all program support to Georgia and limited engagement with the Georgian government due to the recent crackdown on protests.
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