Ex-defense Minister detained, charged with incitement to violence at Tbilisi rallies [VIDEO]
Irakli Okruashvili served as Prosecutor General, Interior and Defence Ministers under the United National Movement leadership. Photo: 1TV.ge
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Irakli Okruashvili, the former Georgian Defence Minister under the United National Movement (UNM) leadership has been detained for incitement to violence during the clashes of June 20 in front of the parliament of Georgia.
The Georgian Interior Ministry released a video showing how Orakli Okruashvili behaved during the June 20 rally:
Okruashvili has been charged with organising, heading and participating in group violence, the Georgian Interior Ministry announced.
Investigation has revealed that during a violent storm on the parliament building, Irakli Okruashvili, accompanied by other people, called on the demonstrators to violently enter the building along with him”, the Ministry official Mamuka Chelidze said.
Four other people who participated in group violence, attacked police officers and attempted to storm on the parliament of Georgia, have also been detained.
17 people have been charged with organising and participating in group violence during the rally, including the UNM member Nika Melia.
Mamuka Chelidze announced of Irakli Okruashvili's detention late on July 25. Photo: Interior Ministry press office
Tbilisi protests, which were sparked by Russian delegation’s visit to Georgia earlier on June 20 turned into a violent clash between the protesters and police in front of the parliament of Georgia.
The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into police actions, which left 240 injured, including 80 police officers and 32 journalists.
Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia said that the rally became “violent” from 10 p.m, following “a systemic and organised” attack of opposition politicians on the parliament building on June 20.
Minister Gakharia also said that he gave order that the rally was dispersed after some demonstrators decided to storm the parliament building and police used their “legitimate power” to protect the state “from institutional breakdown” and public confrontation.
Former Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili says that he gave testimony in the Rustavi 2 case back in 2014 under the Georgian Dream leadership to have the support in the mayoral elections he ran. He said in the testimony in April 2014 that Rustavi 2 was illegally seized on the demand of ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili from its lawful owners and founders Jarji Akimidze and David Dvali in 2004.
The Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia was questioned at the Prosecutor’s Office earlier today over the June 20-21 developments in front of the parliament in Tbilisi. Minister Gakharia spoke with journalists after the questioning and said that now it is important for the investigation to identify the organisers who triggered “an organised and violent raid” on the parliament building.
Three individuals have been detained for group violence against police during the June 20 rally, the Georgian Interior Ministry has reported.“As of now 12 have been charged with organising and participating in group violence during the rally, including opposition member Nika Melia,” the ministry spokesperson stated earlier today.
Four individuals have been detained for group violence during the June 20 rally in Tbilisi, which left 240 injured and 305 detained.The Georgian Interior Ministry has released a video depicting how the detainees used rubber batons and other items to physically insult law enforcers, trying to drag away their shields and use bad language against the police.
Two individuals have been detained for organising, leading and participating in group violence during the June 20 rally, the Georgian Interior Ministry reports. The ministry says the two took part in group violence, attacked police and attempted to storm the parliament building in an organised manner.
A Tbilisi City Court has denied bail to Irakli Okruashvili, the former Georgian Defence Minister under the United National Movement leadership. Okruashvili was detained on July 25 for incitement to violence during the clashes of June 20 in front of the parliament of Georgia. However, he denies the charges against him.
Lawyers of former Defence Minister of Georgia Irakli Okruashvili have appealed the decision of Tbilisi City Court to deny bail to the former official regarding the June 20 unrest in Tbilisi.
Tbilisi Court of Appeals has left the verdict to deny ex-Defence Minister Okruashvili bail intact.
Tbilisi City Court has left former Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili in pretrial detention, declining the offer of his lawyer on the payment of 500,000 GEL ($168,000) for bail.
Former Minister of Defense Irakli Okruashvili has been found guilty in the June 20 rally case and been sentenced to five years in prison by Tbilisi City Court today.
European Union Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell said that the circumstances around former Minister of Defense Irakli Okruashvili’s case ‘are not conducive to building trust around the historic political agreement reached between all major political parties on March 8 and raises questions about the even-handedness of the follow-up to the events of June 20 2019'.