Parliament rejects opposition’s amnesty bill for June 2019 protests

The Georgian parliament has rejected the opposition’s amnesty bill for the June 2019 protests which was drafted following the EU-mediated agreement back in April 2021. 

The EU mediated agreement, which was initiated by the European Council President Charles Michel, proposed large scale judicial and electoral reforms, as well as amnesty for June 2019 protests to help the Georgian political parties to resolve the political crisis in the country which began after the 2020 parliamentary elections. 

The opposition parties claimed that the ruling Georgian Dream party fabricated the 2020 elections and have been demanding repeat elections since December 2020. 

The arrest of the head of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party Nika Melia for his refusal to post bail further complicated the tension back in February 2021. 

• Court accepts UNM leader Melia’s release after EU posts bail

Melia is charged with violence during June protests which were sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in the Georgian parliament. 

Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov from the occupant country took the seat of the Georgian parliament speaker during a religious conference which sparked June 2019 protests in Tbilisi. 

The majority of Georgian political parties, six of nine parties, which won seats in the 10th convocation of the state legislature signed the EU-mediated agreement  in April 2021 to resolve the political crisis. 

The United National Movement entered the parliament according to the agreement. However, it refused to sign the EU-mediated agreement because of the amnesty note. 

The UNM is against the pardon of the law enforcers who are charged or convicted for abuse of authority during June protests. 

The opposition bill which was supported by 17 MPs and rejected by 61 MPs earlier today in the 150-member parliament proposed that the pardon of June 2019 protesters, as well as law enforcers if victims accepted the pardon. 

The bill did not allow the pardon of state officials if they were charged or convicted for abuse of authority during June 2019 protests.

The ruling party bill for June protests has already been passed with two readings, with only one, technical reading left.

The ruling party bill for June protests allows the pardon of all individuals charged or convicted for June protests. 

The head of the EU delegation to Georgia Carl Hartzell has stated that the EU supported the presence of only one amnesty bill and encouraged the parties to come to an agreement.