Georgians risk serious injury and jail in fresh pro-EU protests

More than 300 radical person been arrested since wide protests erupted successful Georgia six nights ago, and an expanding fig of accounts person emerged alleging convulsive attacks by police.

One antheral has told the BBC however helium was repeatedly kicked successful the head, adjacent aft helium had been knocked unconscious. "When I opened my eyes a 3rd clip I couldn't my legs oregon hands - I couldn't adjacent determination my head," said Avandtil Kuchava, a 28-year-old businessman.

Demonstrations person continued each nighttime since past Thursday, aft ruling enactment Georgian Dream said it was halting the country's bid to commencement talks connected joining the EU.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has accused absorption politicians of orchestrating the violence, blaming them for the injuries.

"Don't blasted others," warned the US embassy successful Tbilisi successful a pointed connection connected societal media directed astatine Kobakhidze's Georgian Dream government.

It reminded Georgians that it was the ruling enactment that had halted the EU process and mislaid its strategical concern with the US 2 days later.

Georgian Dream has been successful powerfulness for 12 years and has introduced progressively authoritarian laws connected civilian society, state of code and LGBT.

For six nights running, tens of thousands of Georgians person taken to the streets, accusing the authorities of trying to destruct their way to a European aboriginal and instrumentality them backmost into Russia's sphere of influence.

Riot constabulary successful assemblage armour person progressively sought to propulsion them backmost with teardrop state and h2o cannon.

Videos of protesters defying the constabulary person gone viral.

One pistillate brandished a Georgian emblem arsenic she braved a watercourse of h2o cannon, portion different walked headlong into a barricade of constabulary lasting down riot shields.

"You garbage people! I'm tired, truthful what bash you want? Are you acrophobic of me?" shrieks the young pistillate defiantly, earlier she is bundled done the barricade and taken away.

The pistillate has since been identified arsenic Nana Tomaradze and she is present being held successful a pre-trial detention centre, her lawyer Lasha Tkesheladze has told the BBC.

For present she is facing an administrative complaint that could pull 5 days successful jailhouse oregon a fine, which her lawyer says is the equivalent of 2 to 3 months' wages.

"She has an 11-year-old lad who has no-one to enactment with," helium says.

In different video an aged pistillate walks on a enactment of helmeted riot police, berating them for pitting Georgian against Georgian and defending politicians successful their palaces.

But the harshness of the constabulary effect has drawn comparisons with autocratic states, astir notably Russia and Belarus, and the government's critics accidental they are operating from a Russian playbook.

Other videos that person gone viral present are acold much sinister.

A middle-aged antheral successful an orangish overgarment is punched and pushed to the crushed arsenic helium tries to get done a ample assemblage of stationary riot police.

A young antheral lying prostrate connected the crushed is kicked successful the caput respective times arsenic a young pistillate pleads with them to stop.

Avtandil Kuchava endured a akin ordeal from constabulary successful unmarked achromatic covering and aft 2 days successful infirmary helium is present recovering astatine home.

"There were 4 radical astatine the beginning, but aft I was knocked retired I didn’t cognize however galore were beating me. When I opened my eyes someone’s ft was coming towards my look and I blacked retired a 2nd time.

"After I opened my eyes the 3rd time, idiosyncratic broke my collarbone with his hand. Then I blacked out, and the adjacent clip I came circular I was being taken to the constabulary presumption successful a car."

The BBC has approached Georgia's ministry of interior affairs for remark but has truthful acold not received a response. The ministry has said that 113 instrumentality enforcement officers person been injured since the protests began and that constabulary person travel nether onslaught from fireworks and different objects.

Avtandil Kuchava says a ceremonial probe into his lawsuit has begun, but helium holds retired small anticipation of immoderate result, adjacent though determination were plentifulness of CCTV cameras successful beforehand of the Georgian parliament, wherever it happened.

Although helium was attacked aboriginal connected Saturday, Georgian lawyers accidental constabulary proceed to inflict what they telephone torture connected protesters.

The Legal Aid Network says astir of those held connected Monday were "brutally beaten". Public ombudsman Levan Ioseliani has said that due to the fact that astir of the injuries person been to "the face, oculus and caput area", that suggests constabulary whitethorn person utilized convulsive methods arsenic a means of punishment.

One antheral successful his aboriginal 20s was deed successful the oculus by a tear-gas canister connected Tuesday and taken to infirmary wherever helium was placed successful an induced coma.

Georgia's premier curate has acknowledged determination has been unit "on some sides", but helium has singled retired absorption parties and non-government organisations for stirring up the protests and blamed members of "violent gangs" for the unrest.

The protesters returned to the main avenue extracurricular parliament again connected Tuesday night, demanding a re-run of contested elections which monitoring groups accidental were marred by a drawstring of violations.

Nikolas, 30, was undeterred by the hazard of apprehension oregon injury: "Cases similar that origin much anger. It's intolerable for america to measurement backmost now."

Hopes of convincing the law tribunal to annul the 26 October parliamentary elections were dashed connected Tuesday erstwhile it rejected a suit from Georgia's pro-Western President Salome Zourabichvili, and the 4 main absorption groups that she has backed.

Meanwhile, further arrests person been reported extracurricular parliament during the sixth nighttime of protests.

Outside a detention centre connected the outskirts of Tbilisi wherever galore of the arrested protesters are being held, a radical of activists held up posters of severely bruised protesters portion 1 of them chanted "freedom for detainees" done a megaphone.

"We privation the planetary assemblage to recognize that this is not lone a combat for Georgian radical but it's a combat betwixt Russia and Western values," said 1 of the activists, Mari Kapadnadze.