The Georgian National Platform is concerned about the events that took place in Batumi on July 31 and calls on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to respect the rights enshrined in the Constitution of Georgia.

The public protest in Batumi followed the arrival of the second Russian cruise ship. According to the reports, the police mobilized on the spot did not allow citizens gathered near the port to freely express their protest and, along with other measures, used the practice of detaining the participants in the demonstration. The overall number of persons detained exceeded 20. In some cases, the Public Defender also responded to alleged facts of physical and verbal abuse of the detainees by the police. There is also information that the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not provide the lawyers of the detainees with information about their whereabouts, which is a violation of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Georgia. Such a practice is unacceptable and creates risks of ill-treatment.

We call on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to respect the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Georgia and not to prevent citizens from freely expressing peaceful protest.

Democracy Research Institute

Liberal Academy Tbilisi Foundation

Local Democracy Agency Georgia

Greens Movement of Georgia/Friends of the Earth

Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association

International Business and Economic Development Center

Georgian Association of Business Consulting Organizations

Union of Scientists of Imereti Region - Spectrum

Research- Intellectual Club - Dialogue of Generations

Samtskhe-Javakheti Regional Association - Tolerant

Georgian Trade Union Confederation