Amnesty International calls for “thorough investigation” into June 20 developments

Amnesty International calls for an immediate, thorough and independent investigation into the use of force during June 20 Tbilisi protests.

Amnesty International’s Senior Campaigner for South Caucasus Levan Asatiani, who was on the scene in Tbilisi, said that ‘the police fired rubber bullets indiscriminately into the crowd.’

Screenshot from the Amnesty International website.

Asatiani states the disturbing scenes show ‘a total failure to distinguish between the few violent protestors and the peaceful majority.’

The heavy-handed police approach has resulted in scores of injuries, including at least 31 journalists… We are calling for a prompt, thorough and independent investigation into these events”, he said.

Levan Asatiani has also highlighted the importance of the police being instructed “to exercise restraint and respect the right to peaceful freedom of expression.”

• Read the Amnesty International's full news here.

The 26th Interparlimentary Assembly  on Orthodoxy which was to be held for the first time in Georgia was interrupted yesterday due to Russian MP Sergei Gavrilov’s appearance in the seat of the parliamentary speaker.

The Russian MP’s action was followed by protests from the public and opposition MPs and ended with police dispersing protestors.