Contemporary Georgian reality supports such a conviction. To establish public opinion, the Georgian authority often employs the methods characteristic to Soviet regime. The older generations remember the "anti-kulak" movement of the 1920-ies, which outlawed rich peasants as "public enemies." Many well-to-do farmers were convicted beforehand without any trial; the preliminary investigation was a mere formality. In the 1930-ies, the same campaign was applied to the Trotskists and other "imperialistic agents." "Agentomania" became even stronger during the 1940-50-ies, when each Soviet citizen in captivity was declared a traitor.
Though the political coercion was not as capacious by 1960-ies, the Soviet government still engaged the same witch-hunting campaign. People with different political opinions were labelled as "anti-Soviet elements." For the Soviet officials, listening to foreign radios, spreading anti-Soviet literature and criticising the regime was quite enough to incriminate a person. If there appeared a person courageous enough to defend a dissident, public opinion considered him/her not a human rights activist, but a public enemy.
Much has changed since the Perestroyka: the Soviet republics have become independent, the primacy of democracy and human rights has been declared. However, social conscience remains unchanged; it cannot be modified by declarations. If the authority does not participate in restructuring the social thinking, much time will pass. Totalitarian mentality will eventually fade because totalitarian regimes no longer exist and private ownership is becoming dominant.