Systematic Violence: Investigation of Police Ill-Treatment
30 January, 2026
Rights Georgia conducted an in-depth analysis of the patterns of systemic violence used by officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs during the dispersal of demonstrations in the spring and in November–December of 2024. The study also assessed the effectiveness and integrity of the subsequent investigations into these incidents.
The in-depth analysis reveals that the identified shortcomings were not isolated errors or accidental failures, but rather form part of an established administrative and investigative practice.
The findings demonstrate that both waves of investigations were carried out using the same flawed methodology, which from the outset undermined the possibility of establishing the truth and holding perpetrators accountable. Key evidence was largely neglected, questions addressed to state bodies were mostly generic and superficial, and investigative authorities received contradictory and incomplete information from relevant institutions.
Moreover, the analysis reveals that during the both protest waves multiple unrelated incidents were artificially consolidated into single criminal cases, preventing a meaningful examination of each episode. By artificially increasing the number of victims and procedural actions within a single case, authorities created an appearance of thorough and effective investigation rather than delivering genuine accountability.
The report provides a detailed account of these systemic shortcomings and their implications for justice and human rights protection in Georgia.
