Lawyer Sandro Tsereteli has revealed details of the alleged torture of detained protesters—his clients—in Georgia. Recently emerging from a detention facility, the lawyer provided a harrowing description of the treatment endured by two individuals, Saba Skhvitaridze and Zura Datunashvili, whom he described as "hostages of the regime."
According to Tsereteli, Zura Datunashvili, an Olympic athlete and world champion, was beaten during his arrest. "Two masked officers from the patrol unit hit him with their elbows in the head after placing him in the car," the lawyer stated. "His ear is fractured. However, once they recognized him as an Olympian, they stopped—perhaps out of fear."
While Skhvitaridze is was not harmed during his initial arrest, the violence began after his arrival at the Police station where he was taken to the fifth floor to meet an investigator. After the investigator left the room, several masked men entered and assaulted him. Saba, who described his assailants as well-trained, said they "seemed like they had been pulled from the protest itself."
The abuse didn’t end there. Hours later, Saba was forcibly taken to the eighth floor, where he was pressured to confess to crimes he claims he did not commit. When he refused, masked men returned to the room and beat him again, targeting his entire body while he was pinned to the floor.
The lawyer stressed that such incidents highlight the increasing use of brutal tactics against demonstrators in the country. "There are no safe spaces left except the streets. Our unity and fight are our only weapons now," the lawyer declared.
Despite the ordeal, both Saba and Zura reportedly remain resilient. "They are eager to return to the fight and drive these Russian-backed elements out of our country," the lawyer said, emphasizing their determination and the hope they place in the solidarity of their supporters.
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