During the April 2009 protests in Georgia police used excessive force against the demonstrators, says the annual report by Human Right Watch.

“Moreover, in a spate of attacks in April and early May, unidentified men in civilian clothes, often armed with rubber truncheons and wearing masks, beat and threatened a number of individual demonstrators leaving protests at night; civil society groups and the ombudsman reported dozens of similar incidents. The authorities opened over 50 individual cases, but failed to meaningfully investigate — suggesting acquiescence or support for such attacks,” the report reads.

The Human Right Watch notes that on June 15, police attacked about 50 opposition supporters gathered outside the police headquarters. According to the organization, “without warning, police chased and beat demonstrators with rubber truncheons, resulting in at least 17 demonstrators being injured.”

The document says that in July Georgian parliament adopted amendments to the Administrative Code, increasing the terms of administrative detention.

“Despite repeated calls from key international actors, the government has refused to launch a comprehensive investigation into events of November 7, 2007,” the annual report says.

A.G.