Prepared by Messenger Staff
Protester Alleges Police Assault and Fabricated Arrest in Batumi
Temur Katamadze, a protester detained on January 11 during a demonstration in Batumi, has accused local police of physical abuse and falsifying arrest reports. In a letter sent from prison to Batumelebi, Katamadze detailed his allegations, naming Batumi Police Chief Irakli Dgebuadze and ten other officers as perpetrators of violence and misconduct.
"After my illegal arrest at the protest in front of the Batumi police station, Irakli Dgebuadze and ten officers physically assaulted me in his office for ten minutes," Katamadze wrote. He claimed officers struck him on the head and face while others restrained him. He further alleged that officer Tengiz Kvirkvelia issued threats, saying, "Finally, you're here too, flagbearer grandpa! I know you. Now you will have to be deported."
Katamadze also recounted enduring verbal abuse and racist remarks. "They called me a 'dog and Turk' and told me to get out of Georgia," he wrote. "I replied: 'Don't call me a Turk. I am not a Turk; I am Georgian in spirit and heart.'"
Katamadze further accused senior police officials, including Gela Basiladze, of orchestrating the creation of fabricated arrest reports. According to his letter, officers pre-prepared template documents, leaving spaces for detainees' names and details, and falsely attributed arrests to specific officers.
The incident began at a rally where Katamadze was peacefully protesting with a flag and a whistle. He claimed that, despite standing 20 meters from the front line, a group of officers singled him out, broke his Georgian flagpole, and ordered his arrest.
Kobakhidze Criticizes Estonian Parliament's Statement as 'Anti-Georgian"
Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has strongly criticized the Estonian Parliament's January 22 statement on Georgia, describing it as "unequivocally anti-Georgian" and disrespectful to the Georgian people.
The Estonian Parliament recognized Salome Zourabichvili as the legitimate president, supported Georgia's democratic forces advocating for new parliamentary elections, condemned the repression of peaceful demonstrators, and called for the release of political prisoners.
In response, Kobakhidze accused Estonia of showing disrespect for the Georgian people. He also linked the statement to the Deep State conspiracy, asserting that its influence is particularly strong in Estonia and the Baltic region.
"In the conditions when there is pressure on the Deep State in the United States, the Deep State is even more active in Europe. You know that especially in the Baltic countries the influence of the Deep State is very serious, this is reflected, of course, in Estonia," said Kobakhidze.
Despite his criticism, Kobakhidze emphasized maintaining a "unilateral friendship regime" with Estonia. "Such statements are unacceptable and anti-Georgian, but we value the historical friendship that exists between the Georgian and Estonian peoples," he added.
