Georgia: HRW Calls for Investigation into Attacks on Protesters

Amid continuing political tension in Georgia, the New York City-based Human Rights Watch is urging Georgian authorities to investigate alleged harassment of opposition protesters.

The international human rights organization said on May 11 that it has "documented a pattern of attacks on opposition demonstrators" that have blocked two central thoroughfares in Tbilisi in an effort to pressure President Mikheil Saakashvili to resign. "[T]he attacks appeared to be a concerted effort to intimidate the demonstrators and prevent them from exercising their right to freedom of assembly," Human Rights Watch wrote.

On May 11, Saakashvili offered to impose a "moratorium on the subsequent investigation" of all offenses that occurred in the course of opposition demonstrations, which commenced on April 9. Opposition leaders have not accepted the proposal.