Batumi (Aug 28): Four minors detained after group assault; victims reported as Belarusian citizens; case opened for “group violence” (up to 2 years)

TL; Dr: A video shows four teens assaulting people in Batumi on the morning of August 28. Georgia’s Interior Ministry opened a group violence case (up to 2 years). TV Pirveli reports the victims are Belarusian. One victim says the attackers stole a passport, phone, and 650 GEL; the phone and passport were recovered, the money wasn’t.

What happened

• A video shared by the Tg channel Batumchik appears to show a group of four young men assaulting people in Batumi.
• TV Pirveli reports the victims are Belarusian citizens and that police were still conducting investigative actions the following morning. https://youtu.be/_x_1-wWf9zY?si=qPzN32IeFR4axBL4
• The Interior Ministry says a case has been opened under the article on group violence (max penalty: 2 years).
• All four suspects are minors and have been detained.

Detained (initials / YOB):

• NV (2008)
• U.Ch. (2011)
• S.K. (2009)
• D.G. (2008)

Alleged victim’s account (translated, profanity included):

“After the ‘Manyana’ bar closed we went to sit on a bench in the park—there were 6–7 of us. A guy from another group came over to bum a cigarette. I gave him some. They mostly talked to the Georgian guy who was with us; they didn’t really speak Russian. At some point only three of us were left, including one girl.

They started insisting our friend had told them to fuck off or something like that. We stood up to sort it out—if she really had, we could’ve apologized—but they just wanted to act tough. We couldn’t leave because they surrounded us.

Then they started hitting us—everyoneincluding the girl. You can see in the video they’re enjoying it. At one point one of them started choking me just for laughs. I even managed to stand up, fend off some punches and asked, ‘Why are you beating the shit out of us?’ He replied: ‘I don’t give a fuck—take that, fuckhead.’

In the end one of them—or all of them—stole the girl’s passport, phone, and 650 lari from her bag. We got the phone and passport back, but the money’s gone.”