10 law enforcers suspended from duty due to June 20 rally
The Georgian Interior Ministry says that it will send all evidence of abuse of power by law enforcers to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office, which is investigating the June 20 rally issues. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Ten law enforcers have been suspended from duty due to possible abuse of power during the June 20-21 rally in central Tbilisi, sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in Georgia, the Georgian Interior Ministry says.
There were signs of a criminal offence in the case of two law enforces of those ten. All the materials will be sent to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office”, “the ministry reported earlier today.
The ministry said that the peaceful demonstration on Rustaveli Avenue on June 20 was transformed into a violent attack on police which forced law enforcers to use the measures allowed by the law [tear gas, rubber bullets, water cannon].
Rally on Rustaveli Avenue left 240 injured. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
The General Inspection of the Ministry of Internal Affairs has been studying possible abuse of power by several law enforcers during the rallies. We are ready to cooperate with the Prosecutor’s Office [which investigates possible abuse of power by law enforcers at the rally] and provide the materials we have,” the ministry said.
Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia said that “destructive opposition forces,” which managed to transform the Georgian people’s “fair and sincere protest” into violence, fled the scene when unrest erupted and abandoned demonstrators.
The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia urged the public earlier today to help the investigation and provide footage which may reflect possible misuse or abuse of power by law enforcers during the demonstration.
Demonstrators who have been rallying on Rustaveli Avenue in the past few days are demanding an investigation into the dispersal of the June 20 rally and the punishment of law enforcers “who deliberately shot rubber bullets in people’s faces”, leaving several young people without an eye.
The rally is scheduled to resume later today.
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into police actions during the June 20-21 rallies in central Tbilisi, which left 305 detained and 240 injured.
The rally, which started at 11 a.m., calls upon the public to join them to “make the court” deliver fair verdicts for those detained during the June 20 rally in central Tbilisi, which was sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in the country and in the Georgian parliament.
A peaceful demonstration in front of the parliament of Georgia is underway on Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi for the fourth consecutive day. People have gathered again demanding the resignation of Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia, the release of people detained on June 20, the punishment of police officers who used excessive force during the clash with protesters and the holding of snap parliamentary elections with proportional electoral system.
The Georgian Dream ruling party has announced that they are ready to conduct the 2020 parliamentary elections on the proportional electoral system only, which has been one of the top demands of demonstrators gathered in Tbilisi since June 20.
Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia has requested parliament in an official letter to allow him to speak about the June 20-21 developments and rallies in Tbilisi at the parliament’s plenary session tomorrow, the Ministry of Internal Affairs says.
The European Union Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell said Ambassadors of EU members states welcome the Georgian Dream ruling party’s decision to conduct the 2020 parliamentary elections on the proportional electoral system alone.
Ambassadors of the European Union, Lithuania, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands to Georgia are urging for a transparent investigation into the police response to the June 20 rallies in Tbilisi.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has stated earlier today that the outer area of the Georgian parliament building in central Tbilisi, which is the main location for demonstrators in the country, will be closed for some time for renovation work.