Journalist and government critic Guram Rogava receives the TV4 News team in a turtleneck and slippers. It has almost been two weeks since he was assaulted by masked riot police during a live broadcast of the protests in central Tbilisi where he was beaten bloody and his neck broken. The doctors say he is lucky to be alive.
– The so-called police were dressed like criminals and they behaved like criminals, he says.
The images of the attack, which were filmed, have traveled the world and led to widespread criticism from the opposition and human rights organizations, as well as condemnation from large parts of the outside world. But Guram Rogava is far from alone. Over 400 people have been arrested, and more than half of them testify to having been subjected to violence. Student Lazare Maglakelidze was arrested and dragged into a minibus where he was beaten unconscious.
Yesterday 22:34
TV4 The news on the ground: “No one we have met will stop protesting”
Will continue to protest
What he has in common with Guram Rogava is that he does not intend to be broken by violence. As soon as the rehabilitation from the concussion is complete, he intends to return to Freedom Square to continue the protests against the conservative ruling party Georgian Dream and the decision to pause the EU membership process.
– We have no choice but to continue. Either we do it, or this government really makes us part of Russia, says Lazare Maglakelidze.
The main criticism of the demonstrators is that the ruling party Georgian Dream with its policies in recent years has brought the country further from the EU and closer to Russia. Georgian Dream, in turn, claims that it is choosing a more pragmatic approach towards its large neighbor to the north, which still occupies around 20 percent of the country’s surface. The party’s representatives talk about the country having to approach the EU very carefully in order not to anger Russia and risk the country being invaded by Vladimir Putin’s forces.
“Given a second chance”
As for the allegations of police brutality, the authorities have condemned the attacks and maintained that they were not carried out by police officers. Representatives of the ruling Georgian Dream party have suggested that it was actually disguised opposition figures who carried out the many attacks to make the government appear in a bad light.
Journalist Guram Rogava follows the protests and the coverage from his colleagues on the government-critical TV channel from home. He doesn’t mince words.
– It’s like I’ve been given a second chance, just like in a video game, he says.
– And I intend to use it to try to save my country. I’m going to do everything I can to make sure it says ‘Mission Complete’ and not ‘Game Over’ when this is over.