On anniversary of June 20 events, US Embassy stands with Georgian people's call to end Russian aggression, strengthen democracy
The US Embassy said June 20 marks one year since 'thousands marched on Rustaveli Avenue to protest Russia’s continued occupation of Georgian territory'. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge achieve
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One year after the June 20 protest, triggered by the presence of Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov in the Georgian parliament, the United States Embassy to Georgia stands with the Georgian people and their call to end Russian aggression and strengthen Georgia’s democracy.
The U.S. Embassy statement on the anniversary of June 20 events https://t.co/jlMnMg7gEl
— U.S. Embassy Tbilisi (@usingeo) June 20, 2020
The US Embassy said June 20 marks one year since 'thousands marched on Rustaveli Avenue to protest Russia’s continued occupation of Georgian territory'.
As we mark this day, on which hundreds were injured, we stand with the Georgian people and their calls to end Russian aggression and strengthen Georgia’s democracy”, the embassy stated.
It also noted that the past year has been marked by challenges and uncertainty, dialogue and compromise in Georgia; 'while the months ahead hold additional challenges – not least of which is the ongoing global pandemic – they also hold opportunities'.
Further democratisation, including electoral reforms that allow greater pluralism in parliament, and advancing its Euro-Atlantic goals remain Georgia’s best defences against Russian aggression”, the Embassy said.
The US Embassy also joins its Georgian friends and partners in supporting the country’s ‘continued democratic development, its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and its Euro-Atlantic integration’
The ruling Georgian Dream party has stated that one year ago on this day ‘an unfortunate mistake' made by the authorities was followed by public protest. In a statement released today the ruling party said the authorities acknowledged their mistake, while ‘the destructive opposition attempted to use this protest for their own political purposes and turned the wave of protest into a violent demonstration’.
A peaceful demonstration will be held in front of the parliament of Georgia in downtown Tbilisi later today, one year after the June 20 protest, triggered by the presence of Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov in the Georgian parliament. Calling on citizens to join them at 7pm today, the organisers of the rally said they will follow all of the recommendations of the World Health Organisation.
The European Court of Human Rights has accepted applications prepared by the Human Rights Centre (HRC), asking the Prosecutor General’s Office to grant plaintiff status to journalists injured during the dispersal of June 20-21, 2019 protest demonstrations near the parliament of Georgia.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, who was serving as interior minister during the June 20, 2019 rally dispersal in central Tbilisi, says that the Georgian government ‘prevented a large-scale destabilisation and chaos’ in the country.
A peaceful rally in front of the parliament of Georgia in downtown Tbilisi commemorating the one-year anniversary of June 20 protest has ended. One year ago the rally, which was dispersed by police after demonstrators ignored the appeal of the Interior Ministry to obey law enforcers and decided to break into the parliament building, left about 240 people injured.
The US Embassy in Georgia has praised the Georgian Interior Ministry for detaining two individuals who created and then issued a fake US visa in exchange for $8,600.