Georgia police accused of torturing pro-EU protesters

Georgia’s rights ombudsman accused police of torturing pro-European Union protesters rallying against the government’s decision to shelve EU accession talks amid a post-election crisis.

The country of some 3.7 million has been rocked by demonstrations since the ruling Georgian Dream party announced last week it would halt EU accession talks.

Police on Tuesday evening used water cannon and tear gas on the sixth night of pro-EU protests in Tbilisi after the prime minister threatened demonstrators with reprisals amid a deepening crisis in the Black Sea nation.

Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze has refused to back down and threatened Tuesday to punish political opponents, accusing them of being behind violence at mass protests.

Protesters gathered outside parliament for a sixth straight night but the crowd appeared slightly smaller than on recent nights.

Draped in EU and Georgian flags, protesters booed riot police officers and threw fireworks. Police responded by directing hoses at the protesters, with some dancing in the jets and others sheltering under umbrellas.