Geonews Exclusive : Cold Blooded Murder on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Ave, May 25, 2011

Two American journalists found a dead protester on Rustaveli Ave left to die, after having been apparently beaten to death by police. Only because of the journalists’ indignation and insistence did medical assistance arrive. Nonetheless, it was too late, now realizing the man was stone cold dead. It is clear that no attempts were made to provide CPR, the police and medics quickly focused on threatening the journalists and preventing them from taking more photos of the dead body.

A protester lies lifeless on the streets of Tbilisi - Photo by Ian Carver

They then instructed an ambulance to relocate, as they wanted to block security forces and other media from having a clear view of the body laying lifeless on the curbside. Apparently the intention was to prevent the now shouting American journalist from being heard, blocking him pointing to the drenched and cold body as “being a human being and not a piece of trash.”

Jeffrey K. Silverman, freelance journalist, 20 years in Georgia was first on the crime scene; photo (s) taken by Ian F. Carver.