▲Police arresting peopel during clashes in front of Bassiani club (Mari Nikuradze /OC Media)
Police detaining people during clashes in front of Bassiani club (Mari Nikuradze /OC Media)
Masked police raided two popular Tbilisi nightclubs, Bassiani and Café Gallery under the pretence of detaining drug traffickers on the night of 11 May. Police forcibly removed club-goers from the venues and clashes ensued.
According to the Interior Ministry’s statement, eight suspected drug traffickers aged 21–30 were arrested following three-month-long ‘intensive investigative activities’ in several Tbilisi nightclubs.
More people were detained in the aftermath of the raids, including drug policy liberalisation proponents Beka Tsikarishvili from pro-reform White Noise Movement and Zurab Japaridze from Girchi party. According to the police, all detainees have already been released. At least one person was hospitalised.
Chaos ensued following the forceful dispersal of a spontaneous rally in front of Bassiani following the club-goers’ removal from the venue. Police used violence against the protesters and several journalists were reported injured during the brawl, including OC Media’s journalist.
The dispersal of the rally (Dominik K. Cagara /OC Media)
The rally then moved to in front of the parliament building on Rustaveli Avenue where it continued until 7 a.m. under heavy police presence. Several more people were detained.
At least one person was hospitalised (Mari Nikuradze /OC Media)(Mari Nikuradze /OC Media)(Mari Nikuradze /OC Media)Protest at the parliament building in Tbilisi (Mari Nikuradze /OC Media)
During a briefing held at the Ministry of Internal Affairs later on 12 May, the ministry spokesperson said that during the three-month-long investigation the ministry made ‘control purchases’ of drugs and explained that the special operation at the clubs started at a time when drug deals were expected. The MIA also released video clips depicting alleged drug dealing and explained that court order had been issued for secret video surveillance.
The White Noise Movement responded during a press-conference that it was a ‘delibarate provocation’ against nightclubs and claimed that the evidence provided by the MIA was staged and fabricated.
The raids follow a recent controversy regarding drug policy liberalisation after at least four people died from unknown drug use. The deaths have intensified calls to shut down Bassiani, an alleged drug trafficking point. Bassiani rejected the allegations on 7 May and wrote that the Georgian club scene was being targeted and discredited by ‘regressive’ and ‘pro-Russia forces’.
The raids also came hours after former Prime Minister’s Bidzina Ivanishvili’s appointment as the ruling Georgian Dream party’s leader. The opposition United National Movement earlier claimed that Ivanishvili’s son Bera Ivanishvili owned the club, which he immediately denied.
Former Energy Minister in Georgian Dream’s government and current Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has been a vocal proponent of developing club culture in Tbilisi making it one of the pillars of his election campaign in the autumn of 2017.
Controversial Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia is slated to become the country’s next prime minister, the fifth under the rule of Georgian billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili’s Georgian Dream party.
The ‘Shame!’ campaign by the For Freedom group, which has been demanding Gakharia’s resignation since June, called on people to protest his nomination for prime minister, which was unveiled earlier on Tuesday by Georgian Dream Chair Bidzina Ivanishvili.
‘It’s a slap into the face of so
Georgian drug policy reform advocates have marked the anniversary of police raids on night clubs Bassiani and Café Gallery in the capital Tbilisi.
Recently formed advocacy group 12 May, named after the night of the raids, draped banners over bridges and on public spots in Tbilisi bearing anti-government messages. These included references to the raids, the country’s harsh drug policies, as well as ironic references to their environmental policy, alleged control over the media, and scandals
Georgia’s Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia has apologised over police raids on two popular nightclubs in Tbilisi. Gakharia met with protest leaders during a rally in front of Tbilisi’s parliament building on Sunday evening. Far-right groups, who have been holding counter-demonstrations against ‘drug dealers and LGBT propagandists’ vowed to continue to protest.
Thousands of protesters had been demanding Gakharia and Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili resign following the raids on the Ba
Thousands of people rallied on 12 May against the nightclub raids and police violence, demanding the PM and Interior Minister’s resignations.
The rally in front of Tbilisi’s parliament building followed a police raid on popular nightclubs Bassiani and Café Gallery. According to Public Defender Nino Lomjaria, the eight arrested drug dealers were apprehended before the raids, not in the course of them as previously assumed.
[Read more about the raids on OC Media: Eight arrested in ‘anti-dru
Masked police raided two popular Tbilisi nightclubs, Bassiani and Café Gallery under the pretence of detaining drug traffickers on the night of 11 May. Police forcibly removed club-goers from the venues and clashes ensued.
