Georgian Protester Claims Police Threatened Rape and Burial Alive
A Georgian protester has accused police of subjecting him to violent threats and inhumane treatment following his arrest during demonstrations in Tbilisi against the government’s suspension of its bid to join the European Union.
The man, 27-year-old Rezo Kiknadze, testified in court last week that officers threatened him with rape and “being buried alive” in an effort to coerce him into giving false testimony against opposition figures.
Kiknadze said he was detained at a metro station while returning from a clinic appointment. Two men in black clothing allegedly handcuffed him, forced him into a car, and drove him to Lisi Lake in northwest Tbilisi. There, he claims, he was intimidated and pressured to sign documents implicating opposition politicians.
According to his testimony, officers taunted him with threats of execution, telling him: “The tractor is already here, digging the pit, and if he doesn’t write it, let’s bury him alive.” Another leaned into the car and warned: “Write what they are telling you, or else this is what awaits you.”
Kiknadze also described sexual threats, saying officers suggested he would be sodomised with a Champagne bottle or enema tube. “One of them said, ‘let’s bring him downstairs and put him on an enema tube or a Champagne bottle.’ Another replied, ‘he might soil himself, it is a dirty job, so let’s put on gloves,’” he told the court.
The activist has been charged with participating in group violence, a crime punishable by four to six years in prison.
His case highlights mounting allegations of abuse by Georgian authorities amid widespread protests that have gripped the country since November. The demonstrations began after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and the ruling Georgian Dream party announced a suspension of EU membership talks until 2028, following the European Parliament’s rejection of Georgia’s parliamentary election results in October.
Rights groups and NGOs have accused the government of systematic repression of dissent. Civil Georgia, a prominent watchdog, has warned that activists and opposition supporters are being targeted not only during protest crackdowns but also in their homes and offices. It reported that at least 11 opposition members have been assaulted this year.
The Public Defender’s office further revealed that 85% of detainees arrested between November 28 and December 6, 2024, were physically abused while in custody.
While the Georgian government has rejected accusations of systemic abuse, human rights organizations argue that such threats and mistreatment are becoming increasingly common. They warn that the crackdown could further isolate Georgia from its European aspirations and deepen domestic unrest.
For many protesters, Kiknadze’s testimony is emblematic of the risks they face in standing up to the government. As demonstrations continue daily in Tbilisi, activists insist that their fight for democracy and European integration will not be silenced by fear or intimidation.
