The article reports on the human rights situation in Georgia, as documented by the Public Defender‘s 2024 Human Rights Report. The report highlights several issues, including:
1. **Mistreatment of protesters**: During both spring and winter demonstrations, protesters were subjected to torture, inhumane or degrading treatment, and excessive force by riot police.
2. **Lack of accountability**: Despite clear instances of police misconduct, no officers have been held accountable, and investigations remain ineffective.
3. **Obstruction of investigations**: Authorities failed to obtain crucial evidence, such as surveillance footage, police body camera footage, and internal radio communications.
4. **Punishment for protesters**: Protesters faced interference, including physical violence, arbitrary detentions, and the seizure of personal belongings. Women were disproportionately targeted with verbal and physical abuse.
5. **Human rights violations in occupied territories**: The report highlights human rights abuses in the Georgian territories occupied by Russia, including murders, illegal arrests, and denial of education in the native language.
The article also mentions other related issues, such as:
* Tightened penalties for protest-related offenses
* Lack of disciplinary measures against police officers despite multiple complaints
* Cases of planting drugs on defendants and their subsequent detention
* Human rights violations in occupied territories, including murders and denial of education
* Protection of the rights of internally displaced persons
The article references other sources, such as a joint statement from CSOs condemning arrests, torture, and repression in Georgia, and Public Defender’s 2023 human rights report.