Georgians taking an evening stroll in Tbilisi over the weekend were stunned by huge outdoor screens airing graphic scenes of the rape of prisoners.
The short films used real clips and were displayed by human rights groups in the capital and in Zugdidi, a city in the west of the country. They were a reminder of the prison abuse scandal that led to the downfall of Mikheil Saakashvili’s government in 2012.
A recent poll indicated that Mr Saakashvili’s United National Movement had nosed ahead of the ruling Georgian Dream party for the first time since his defeat. He continues to chair his party despite living in self-imposed exile as governor of Ukraine’s Odessa region.
During Mr Saakashvili’s presidency prison officials were accused of using bottles and broom handles to rape members of Georgia’s mafia. Guards allegedly filmed the rapes to blackmail the gangsters, but the videos were leaked to the press. At the time they were not made available to the public.
Irakli Garibashvili, the prime minister, was eager to capitalise on the videos. “It was clearly demonstrated once again that Saakashvili’s regime was sadistic,” he said.
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“This is a grubby campaigning ploy,” said one Tbilisi resident, however. “What about the children and others who could be scarred after seeing it?”