16 people injured during June 20 rally dispersal refused victim status

Tbilisi City Court has refused to grant victim status to 16 individuals, including eight journalists, who received injuries during the June 20 rally dispersal in central Tbilisi. 

The court says that currently there is no sufficient evidence to grant victim status to these individuals.

The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) appealed to the court on behalf of the individuals on October 11 2019, after the Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office refused to grant them victim status. 

GYLA says that the court’s decision is “ungrounded,” as “all of the individuals suffered obvious injuries, with several of them losing one of their eyes during the dispersal.” 

The June 20 rally was sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in the Georgian parliament. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge. 

Earlier today the same court granted Kakha Ghavtandze 2,000 GEL bail [$669], one of those detained for violence during the June 20 rally.

The man was released on bail after confession to the crime. 

• 17 civilians and three police officers have been charged so far regarding the June 20 rally, including former Defence Minister Irakli Okruashvili and opposition MP Nika Melia, GYLA says. 
• GYLA reports that 67 law-enforcers and four protestors have been recognised as victims.
•  The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into police actions during the rally dispersal. 
• Then Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia [now the prime minister of Georgia] said in a recent TV interview that the rally became “violent” starting at 10 p.m. following “a systematic and organised” attack on the parliament building on June 20.
• Gakharia also said that he gave the order for the rally to be dispersed after some of the demonstrators decided to storm the parliament building.
• The dispersal left 240 injured and 305 detained.