The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has accepted cases of Geogian social activists Giga Makarashvili, Zuka Berdzenishvili and Irakli Kacharava who were detained during the November 18 rally dispersal in Tbilisi.
The applications were prepared by the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA).
Eduard Marikashvili, a lawyer of the GYLA told on.ge that the main demand was for the ECHR to recognise the violation of freedom of assembly and association.
In a Facebook post, Giga Makarashvili writes that he and the other two victims did not ask for compensation, as they ‘will not take money from the pockets of poor Georgians’.
Ten individuals, including the members of the civic movement Shame, Giga Makarashvili, Zuka Berdzenishvili and Irakli Kacharava, were detained at parliament in Tbilisi for disobedience to police and hooliganism while protesting the rejection of the ruling-party proposed election bill.
The bill would have allowed for the early transition to a fully proportional system starting from 2020 instead of the scheduled 2024.
Giga Makrashvili, Irakli Kacharava and Zuka Berdzenishvili spent 12, four and seven days in prison.