**Police Violence Against Protesters Sparks Outrage**
Public Defender Levan Ioseliani has spoken out against the police treatment of protesters in Tbilisi. He said that video footage shows excessive use of force by police officers and condemned their actions.
On February 2, a peaceful protest rally near the Tbilisi mall ended with multiple arrests and police brutality. Protesters had gathered to block a road and march towards the Parliament building. The Public Defender called on the Special Investigation Service to investigate these incidents and hold those responsible criminally liable.
**Injuries and Arrests**
Over 20 protesters, including politicians, were detained during the protest rally. One minor was also taken into custody. A cameraman for TV Pirveli, Niko Kokaia, was injured and taken to the hospital. The circumstances of his injury are not yet clear.
The head of the Special Tasks Department of the Ministry of Interior, Zviad Kharazishvili (also known as Khareba), was present at the scene and allegedly personally abused protest participants.
**Widespread Criticism**
The Georgian authorities have been criticized for allowing cases of police violence to go unpunished. While dozens of peaceful demonstrators have been detained and prosecuted, no police officers or “titushky” (pro-government thugs) have been brought to justice for beating and assaulting citizens.
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