Journalist Beka Beradze Beaten and Detained Amid Tbilisi Pro‑EU Protests

December 1, 2024 – Tbilisi –

RFE/RL Georgian Service producer Beka Beradze was arrested and physically assaulted by security forces near Georgia’s parliament in Tbilisi during anti-government demonstrations. According to his lawyer, Beradze was walking with friends—off duty and not actively reporting—when he was suddenly seized by masked officers, beaten on the head, and taken to a police van.

Beradze recounted that officers became more aggressive upon realizing he was a journalist. He was held in a police minivan for nearly an hour, during which he was repeatedly beaten. His forehead bore visible injuries, and he was later held in a temporary detention facility before being released on December 3.

The incident occurred amid mass protests against the ruling Georgian Dream party’s decision to halt EU accession talks until 2028—a move widely criticized as a shift away from Western integration. These protests, ongoing since November 28, 2024, have seen frequent confrontations between demonstrators and security forces.

Beradze’s brother, Tornike, was also detained and beaten. He suffered a concussion and described being punched repeatedly while handcuffed in the van, where a pool of blood reportedly formed on the floor.

This arrest is part of a broader pattern of police violence during the protests: by December 2, over 200 protesters had been detained, and many suffered beatings, tear gas, and water cannon attacks. Videos and firsthand testimonies show individuals, including poets and activists, being chased into buildings and beaten—even when not actively protesting—indicating indiscriminate aggression by police.

The Georgian Interior Ministry defended its actions as necessary, claiming officers faced attacks from protesters. However, international actors, including U.S. officials, condemned the use of excessive force against peaceful demonstrators and journalists, expressing concern over deteriorating respect for assembly, expression, and press freedoms.

Beradze’s ordeal exemplifies the special vulnerability of journalists during political turmoil. His experience—severe physical assault and arrest despite not covering the protests—raises alarms over targeted repression and threats to media independence in Georgia’s increasingly fraught political environment.

Reference –

https://www.rferl.org/a/georgia-protest-arrest-tbilisi-beradze/33222555.html