Polish MEP Krzysztof Brejza demands sanctions over 2022 incident already prosecuted by Georgian authorities

Polish Member of the European Parliament Krzysztof Brejza on Saturday claimed that footage aired by the Georgian opposition-leaning TV Pirveli shows Georgian police brutally beating “pro-European demonstrators” demanding a European future.

Despite clear statements from Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office and Ministry of Internal Affairs that the incident occurred in 2022 and the involved officers have already been arrested, Brejza called for additional sanctions against Bidzina Ivanishvili - the founder and Honorary Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party - and responsible officials.

“Georgia’s pro-European protesters are being brutally beaten, tortured and abused for demanding a European future. The international community must respond. More sanctions are needed against Ivanishvili and the officials responsible for this repression”, Brejza said.

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The Georgian Interior Ministry said journalists who prepared the teaser were aware of these circumstances but failed to include the information in the promotional material.

“We are aware that the journalists who released the teaser also possess this information. However, they deliberately omitted it from the programme preview, which appears aimed at the deliberate discrediting of the Ministry of Internal Affairs”, the statement said.

The Prosecutor’s Office similarly stated that it had informed TV Pirveli journalist Nodar Meladze that the case concerned a 2022 incident and that the officers responsible had already been arrested.

“A TV Pirveli teaser concerning a crime committed by police officers was circulated. Today, Nodar Meladze contacted us regarding the matter. Although we informed him that the case concerns a crime committed in 2022 and that all three police officers responsible have been arrested, regrettably, this information was not included in the programme teaser”, the Prosecutor’s Office noted.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that TV Pirveli had previously reported the arrests of the three officers on February 23 but omitted this in the current broadcast.