Georgia Arrests 16 More Individuals in Connection with October 4th Tbilisi Protests

The Georgian Interior Ministry has reported the detention of 16 more individuals in connection with the October 4 protests in Tbilisi, raising the total number of detainees in the case to 62.

Interior Minister Gela Geladze held a briefing on the new arrests early Friday evening. Prior to the ministry’s statement, activists and relatives of the detainees had already shared reports of the new arrests on social media, The Caspian Post reports citing foreign media.

The latest detainees included activist Mariam Mekantsishvili, a single mother and an active participant in the ongoing anti-government protests.

Just a few days before her arrest, on Tuesday, she had spoken with Elina Valtonen, the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office and Finland’s Foreign Minister, who visited the rally during her official trip to Tbilisi. Her appearance at the rally sparked outrage among local authorities.

Some have suggested that Mekantsishvili’s detention could be related to her on-camera conversation with Valtonen.

Among the detainees is also Simon Makharadze, a resident of the western Georgian town of Ozurgeti. Following his arrest, one of his relatives said in a Facebook live video that armed police entered the house early in the morning, pointed guns at the children inside, and even threatened to kill the family’s dog.

According to Geladze, some of those detained are charged with incitement to violently overthrow the constitutional order or the government, attempting to seize or block a strategic or high-importance facility, and organising or participating in group violence, while others are accused of using violence against law enforcement officers.