Since the beginning of the protests against the Foreign Agents Law, there have been multiple attempts by still unidentified perpetrators to intimidate the protesters, using methods such as life-threatening phone calls, beatings, and posting flyers at the entrance of their homes or offices, with pictures of activists, NGO leaders, and politicians, with writings on the flyers calling these persons “agents” and “enemies of the state”. These actions seem to be part of a well-organized campaign of intimidation against the opponents of the GD. Meanwhile, Speaker of the Parliament Shalva Papuashvili on May 8 announced that Georgian Dream, through its party structures is launching a database containing information on all individuals “who are involved in violence, blackmail, threats and other illegal acts”, or “who publicly endorse these actions.”
The UNM party member and board member Dimitri Chikovani, one of the activists of the current demonstrations, one of the organizers of the bikers’ marches Lasha Ghvinianidze and professor at the University of Georgia as well as the researcher of Chavchavadze Center Gia Japaridze (who is the brother of the leader of the Girchi-More Freedom opposition party, Zurab Japaridze) were beaten on late evening of May 8. All beatings were carried out by carried out by groups of people who allegedly knew about the movement of their targets and were waiting in ambush. Earlier activist and anti-agents’ law rallies protester Lado Apkhazava, the winner of the National Teacher Award (his child was attacked as well) was attacked we well.
Over the past two days, many activists, opposition, media, and civil society representatives, as well as ordinary citizens who have been taking part in the rallies against the Foreign Agents law have become targets of harassing and abusive telephone calls, whereby they and their family members have been threatened (this included death threats) and insulted. First the caller would ask if the person had read the draft-law and then they would start harassing and insulting them.
At first the calls came from the out-of country numbers. Later, some activists reported on social media that the calls were coming from Georgian numbers. The caller would name the person’s name and address and would threaten that they would beat that person up.
There were also video and photo evidence circulating of the damaged bicycles of activists who take part in the so-called bicycle march during the rally.
In the morning of May 9 the flyers appeared on the offices and homes of NGO representatives, politicians and media representatives, calling these people “agents”, “enemies of the country”, “UNM hired” and so on.
The writing reads “Agents headquarters”
Flyers in front of the Girchi More Freedom and Droa office
The writing reads “Faggot agents”
Flyers on the windows of EECMD office
Flyers on the windows of EECMD office
The writings on the flyers call the EECMD heads “Bolsheviks” and “Revolutioners”
The flyers insult activist Nata Peradze
The writings on the flyers reads “UNM hired”
The writing on the car reads “Enemy of the country”