The NGO Social Justice Center has noted an increase in cases of physical violence by police officers against citizens in recent months. The statement says that the practice of inhumane treatment of detainees by police officers has become the norm.
“A series of high-profile cases that have recently come to light shows that violence, ill-treatment, and abuse of power by law enforcement officers have long ceased to be isolated incidents. Police violence has become part of the system’s daily operations. This is fueled by a lack of political will on the part of the state, weak institutional control, a culture of impunity, and political influence,” the publication notes.
The organization states that in recent years, the political crisis and the de facto establishment of an authoritarian model of governance in Georgia have made this problem even more apparent.
“The weakening of democratic institutions, the further concentration of power in the hands of the ruling party, the restriction of political pluralism, and the deterioration of standards for protecting fundamental rights and freedoms, according to the organization, have contributed to the use of the police as a tool for managing political processes.
The cases reported by the media likely reflect only a small fraction of the actual scale of violence by law enforcement officers. Most victims are afraid to speak out about police actions, fearing retaliation, unlawful prosecution, the filing of new charges, the fabrication of evidence, or other forms of pressure,” the NGO believes.
