Activists to stage Tbilisi protest against amnesty for June 20, 2019 rally dispersal

Activists affected by the law enforcement's dispersal of the June 20, 2019 rally outside the Georgian parliament are set to gather at the location on Sunday to protest against a bill that provides amnesty to police used in the action.

The protest is organised by some of the individuals who became part of violent clashes two years ago, when independent citizens and opposition politicians protesting the presence of Russian Duma MP Sergey Gavrilov in the Georgian parliament were dispersed by police.

Members of a civil movement and opposition parties are expected to join the Sunday evening rally, with activist Irakli Pavlenishvili announcing participants would demonstrate they "do not accept the [ongoing Russian] occupation [of two of Georgia's regions], do not accept the collaborationism, and do not accept the amnesty".

Pavlenishvili said the ruling Georgian Dream had "neither investigated nor brought to justice" individuals involved in the dispersal, and alleged the amnesty bill, currently in hearing at the parliament, was designed to serve as the government's "escape from responsibility".

The ruling party bill for June protests has already been passed with two readings, with only one, technical reading left. It allows for pardon of all individuals charged or convicted during the protests two years ago.

In April, the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) urged political parties not to implement amnesty for alleged violations committed by police during the clashes, after a clause for amnesty was included in the proposal by the European Council president designed to solve the political crisis of the recent months in Georgia.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is hearing cases concerning alleged excessive use of force by the state and failure to conduct an effective investigation into the actions taken against journalists and protesters during the dispersal.