Man detained for incitement to violence at June 20 rally in Tbilisi released on bail

One of the men detained for incitement to violence at June 20 rally in Tbilisi, Soso Bajelidze, has been released on 5,000 GEL ($1,677) bail earlier on September 16. 

Bajelidze was previously sent to pretrial detention. However, Tbilisi City Court has changed the decision.

19 protestors and 2 police officers have been charged regarding the June 20-21 rallies in central Tbilisi. 

Many of the charged have been sent to pretrial detention. 

The Tbilisi protests, which were sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in the Georgian parliament earlier on June 20, turned into a violent clash between protesters and police in front of the parliament of Georgia.

The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office has launched an investigation into police actions during the rally dispersal. 

Then Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia said in his televised interviews 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 an order that the rally was dispersed after a part of the demonstrators decided to storm the parliament building.

The dispersal left 305 detained and 240 injured.