According to the publicly spread information, on June 2, in the vicinity of the Parliament of Georgia, several people were detained for making inscriptions on a poster, including lawyers, representatives of non-governmental organizations, civil activists - Shota Tutberidze, Eduard Marikashvili, Saba Brachveli, Lasha Janjghava, Levan Nishnianidze. Several of them are still detained and the whereabouts of some of them are still unknown.
The main reason for the protest was the Government's anti-Western policy. According to the information spread by the media, the rally was peaceful. The arrest of the participants in the rally due to the inscription on the poster goes beyond the applicable legislation and unjustifiably restricts the freedom of expression, while also contradicting the constitutional principles and international standards. Such an approach by the law enforcement officers is an action threatening democracy, which may turn into a vicious practice.
According to DRI's assessment, the behavior of the protestors did not go beyond the scope established by the law. Administrative detentions of persons by law enforcement officers as a radical measure of the restriction of the right, including recent developments, represent deliberate actions of the authorities against dissent.
DRI urges:
The Ministry of Internal Affairs
The Special Investigation Service:
აფხაზეთის დე ფაქტო პარლამენტმა დააინიციირა კანონპროექტი „აფხაზეთის რესპუბლიკის ოჩამჩირის, ტყვარჩელისა და გალის
რაიონების სოციალურ-ეკონომიკური განვითარების დონის ამაღლების ღონისძიებების შესახებ“.
24 July, judge Natia
Gudadze, once again considered the change
of the type of the
measure of restraint for 19-year-old Omar Okribelashvili and
23-year-old Saba Meparishvili.
On July 17, the Democracy Research
Institute held a meeting - "Georgia Chooses Europe", in
Gurjaani.