Seven Officers Assaulted and Arrested Him: Minasyan Claims He Was Not a Participant in Tbilisi Protests

Minas Minasyan, who was detained by the Georgian police during the clashes on June 20, has just been released. In an interview with Aliq Media, Minasyan stated that he was not a participant in the protest. He was meeting friends and they were walking towards Rustaveli Avenue. This was at the moment when special measures had already been implemented and protesters were moving down the street.

“We were walking up from near the library, we saw a large mass moving down, then we smelled gas; there was an Italian courtyard, and we quickly entered. I approached the arch at the entrance of the yard to see what was happening, my friends stayed in the yard, I was closer to the street, but I did not go out to the street. Moments passed, and I didn’t understand what happened, the police came, threw me to the ground forcefully. They say there was a warning, but there wasn’t; I said that in court as well. They claimed that I didn’t comply with the warning and resisted during the arrest, which is a lie; I didn’t even understand what was happening. When 7 people attack, it’s impossible to resist,” Minasyan said.

Minasyan claims that despite not resisting during the arrest, the police used excessive force unnecessarily. He was assaulted by 7 officers. Minasyan stated that he was not given the opportunity to call anyone. Representatives of the embassy and the Office of the Human Rights Defender of Georgia visited him.

“They didn’t let me contact my family, or communicate with the consulate. They said that the consul was aware and coming, but that was not the case. After being detained, I waited for 6 hours before they sent me to a detention cell. They did not allow me to contact my family; I only communicated through a translator and asked them to call and inform them,” Minasyan said.

Minas Minasyan is a student currently living and studying in Georgia.