GEORGIA: UPDATE ON ALLEGED ATTACKS ON OPPOSITION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 TBILISI 001513 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/05/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM GG SUBJECT: GEORGIA: UPDATE ON ALLEGED ATTACKS ON OPPOSITION MEMBERS Classified By: Ambassador John F. Tefft for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary/Comment: For the past week, Post has urged the Government to provide more details and investigate alleged beatings of opposition activists. On August 2, former Parliamentary Speaker and opposition leader Nino Burjanadze from the Democratic Movement-United Georgia (DMUG) party informed the Ambassador of four separate incidents she categorized as politically motivated attacks against members of her party by the government. The most significant incident was the severe beating and kidnapping by masked assailants of a well-known Georgian sports figure associated with the Burjanadze family. Post immediately contacted the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MOIA) about the accusations, but to date has not received any formal response regarding the case. On August 6, the Ambassador told Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili that such incidents undermine both the rule of law in Georgia and the positive messages delivered by both Vice President Biden and President Saakashvili during and prior to the VP visit. Post has, and continues to, systematically raise incidents of alleged violence against citizens for their political activity with the GOG at all levels. Post continues to stress that proper judicial investigations must be performed, especially in cases where individuals have been attacked and beaten by assailants. After an August 6 National Security Council meeting that included members of the non-parliamentary opposition, President Saakashvili agreed to an August 12 meeting with opposition leaders and law enforcement officials to discuss these cases. End Summary/Comment. THE INCIDENTS ¶2. (C) On August 3, following Burjanadze's report of the beatings of four activists from her party, Poloffs met with six members of DMUG's governing council, including secretary general Vakhtang Kolbaia, who provided further details about the alleged attacks that occurred on August 1 and 2. The first of these incidents involved Archil Rekhviashvili, described by the DMUG as a youth coordinator for the party. The governing council told Poloffs that Rekhviashvili was kidnapped in his own car by four armed assailants dressed in camouflage on Hiliani Street in Tbilisi. They say the police were informed of the kidnapping within five minutes of its taking place and that the license plate number "WNW 140" was provided. Rekhviashvili was later found beaten severely near Bazaleti Lake, about 50 km from Tbilisi. The second incident involved Tornike Arikadze, described by DMUG as a party member. The DMUG claimed that police planted a gun on Arikadze at a local market and charged him with the illegal possession of a weapon. DMUG said that two other party members were also arrested August 1, but that the families did not want to give out their names for security reasons. One of these party members was also charged with carrying an illegal weapon, but they did not know what the other member's charge was. The DMUG claimed that the GOG has started a campaign of retribution against the opposition since Vice President Biden's visit. The DMUG also said that it had little, if any, response from the police regarding pending investigations of the harassment of party members who participated in protests this spring and summer. ¶3. (C) The incident drawing the most attention involves well-known Georgian karate and wrestling champion Amiran Bitsadze and his friend David Bendeliani. The governing council refused to answer direct questions about the Qcouncil refused to answer direct questions about the relationship between Amiran Bitsadze and Burjanadze's husband Badri Bitsadze, but it appears they are related. They said that he had no specific role in the party, but that he was a party member. The DMUG governing council told Post that Bitsadze and Bendeliani were driving on Tskhvarichamia street in Tbilisi when they came across a micro bus blocking the road. At that point, they report about fifteen to eighteen men in masks dragged both men out of the car and severely beat them. Bendeliani was left on the street, but Bitsadze was taken away in a car. Bitsadze was later found on Didi Digomi Highway with two bullet-like wounds on his back, a broken leg, a broken arm, and what the DMUG called a brain injury (likely a concussion). The DMUG claimed that Bitsadze's arm was run over by a car and that a taser was used to subdue him. The governing council provided pictures of the wounds on Bitsadze's back which they say were caused by GOG rubber bullets. The DMUG stated that they could not provide the bullets themselves because doctors were pressured not to provide them. They claimed the assailants were from the GOG because a resident of the Tbilisi neighborhood where the kidnapping took place recognized one as an area police officer and that one of the vehicles used was recognized as belonging to police special forces. The governing council told Post they believe Bitsadze was a target because of his association with the Burjanadze family and because he could rally support for the party from the sports and IDP TBILISI 00001513 002 OF 002 communities (Bitsadze is reported an IDP from Abkhazia). TIME FOR THE MOIA TO DO ITS JOB: INVESTIGATE ¶4. (C) Post continues to take a systematic approach to raising the issue with the GOG. After receiving the phone call from Burjanadze, Polchief immediately contacted Ministry of Internal Affair's Head of Analytical Department Shota Utiashvili. Utiashvili indicated that he had not heard anything about the matter, but that he would look into it. On August 3, the Ambassador raised the allegations with then Acting Foreign Minister Giga Bokeria. The same day, Poloff attended a diplomatic corps briefing about the incidents at the Ombudsman's office and continues to be in contact with the Ombudsman's office to track protest-related incidents. On August 4, Polchief met with Utiashvili to again express concern about the incidents and call for an open and transparent investigation. The same night, the Ambassador expressed his concern to Speaker of Parliament David Bakradze. Polchief also raised Post's concern over the incidents with Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance Dimitri Shashkin who is tasked by the GOG with democratic reform efforts; Polchief emphasized that continued allegations which remain unanswered deter from the Minister's reform efforts. Shashkin told Polchief that he is concerned and would discuss the issue with the MOIA. ¶5. (C) On August 6, the Ambassador noted the importance of a proper investigation into these allegations to Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili. Merabishivili, who had just returned from Asia, said he was not familiar with the details of the Bitsadze case, but agreed that it was important that the case be handled properly, the results of which should be made public. The Ambassador told the Minister that unanswered allegations -- particularly those involving the police -- undermine Georgia's stated commitments to the rule of law and suggest that the police are not under control. Later that day President Saakashvili met with opposition leaders at a session of the National Security Council and agreed to arrange an August 12 meeting to include law enforcement leaders to discuss alleged attacks on opposition supporters. Post will continue its current practice of documenting allegations of harassment and abuse by any faction in its Protest Incident Tracker and raising any new incidents at its bi-weekly meeting with the MOIA. TEFFT