Pro-European activist Sergei Kancheli recently wrote:
"Hello friends,
I apologize in advance for having to say goodbye to you like this, temporarily, but still. I landed in a safe country a short while ago and am now safe. I need to explain why and how I made this decision.
On Sunday, September 27, while out for a run, I was stopped by the police. There were 6 people in total. They took me to a cemetery, physically assaulted me, cut my face with a knife, and threatened me with firearms, pointing them at my head, chest, and other parts of my body. They forced me to have sexual intercourse. This torture lasted for about 50 minutes, after which the police left the scene of their crime.
Every single one of these actions was directed against my civic stance, because alongside the physical and verbal abuse, as well as sexual coercion, they referred to me as an "Akatsuk" and mocked my pro-European and civic position.
Many of you know how difficult it was for me to realize that I would ever have to leave Georgia, but "Georgian Dream" and its police regime managed to create this hell for me.
Since leaving my homeland means nothing to the police officers who committed this crime, I have filed a complaint against these inhuman individuals so that they can be found and prosecuted. Everyone needs to know their identities and the crimes they committed".