Six Officers Arrested After Police Beating in Gori — Prosecutors Charge Article 333 Exceeding Official Powers

What Happened

On May 27, 2026, a viral video circulating on social media showed law enforcement officers in Gori, a town in central Georgia, violently beating two individuals during a detention operation in the Kombinati settlement. The footage showed up to ten officers approaching civilians, forcibly detaining one man and kicking him repeatedly while another was beaten on the ground. Both men were heard screaming during the assault.

Six Officers Arrested

The Prosecutor's Office of Georgia announced on May 28 the arrest of six law enforcement officers connected to the incident. The detainees are charged under Article 333, Part 3 of the Criminal Code of Georgia — "exceeding official powers through violence" — which carries a penalty of five to eight years' imprisonment.

Prosecutors stated that the officers "exceeded their official powers through the use of violence during the detention of the victim, and as a result of the violence, the victim's rights were substantially violated and their health was harmed."

The Prosecutor's Office statement specified the arrests were made in connection with the May 27 incident and noted coordination with the Ministry of Internal Affairs' General Inspectorate.

Victim's Injuries and Detention

One of the beaten men, Papuna Lotsulashvili, was briefly detained by police on the same day. His lawyer stated he faced allegations of "attacking a police officer," a charge Lotsulashvili described as "absurd." He was later transferred overnight from Gori to Tbilisi's VivaMedi clinic for medical examination.

A clinic doctor reported that Lotsulashvili sustained:

• A fractured rib
• A wrist sprain
• A superficial head injury
• A contusion

Medical staff noted his condition had worsened by the following day, requiring transfer by ambulance to a hospital in Tbilisi for further treatment.

The second victim, Lasha Abesonashvili, was also present during the incident. According to his account, he went to the scene to de-escalate the situation and assist the detained man.

MIA Deputy Minister's Statement

MIA Deputy Minister Alexandre Darakhvadze — who is sanctioned by the United Kingdom for alleged involvement in serious human rights abuses — stated publicly that Lotsulashvili had struck one of the officers with a stone before the officers' intervention. Darakhvadze characterized the events as having followed a "counter-detonation/preventive measure" during which the civilian was stopped after failing to comply with a police request to verify his identity, at which point he "became aggressive" and caused physical harm to an officer.

SJC and GYLA Challenge Charge Classification

The Social Justice Center (SJC) raised concerns about the basis for the charges, stating it remains unclear why only six of the officers involved in the group violence were arrested. SJC characterized the incident as further evidence of the "normalization of inhuman treatment of detained persons" within Georgian law enforcement practice.

The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) stated that the investigation was opened under the incorrect legal provision. GYLA called on prosecutors to reclassify the case from Article 333 (exceeding official powers) to improper treatment — encompassing torture, inhuman, or degrading treatment — and to pursue criminal charges against all officers involved in the incident.

Political and Public Reactions

The Gori incident drew widespread condemnation across the political spectrum. Georgian Dream Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze publicly called the footage "absolutely unacceptable" and stated state agencies "should have and will have an appropriate response." Archbishop Zenon of the Patriarchate said the actions of police "are not only a matter of physical violence for society — they leave the most distressing mark when the force that is supposed to provide a sense of security turns into a source of fear and insecurity."

Prior Cases

The May 28 arrests follow a similar pattern of enforcement accountability: on May 7, 2026, Georgian authorities announced the first arrests of law enforcement officers in connection with police abuses during the 2024 protest events, marking a notable shift in official willingness to pursue criminal charges against officers. The current Gori incident represents the second major police accountability announcement in less than a month.

Background: This article covers the May 28 arrests. For the investigation-opening story and the legal framework under Article 333, see Georgia Launches Criminal Investigation After Police Caught on Video Beating Men in Gori.

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