President, Ombudswoman meet to discuss July 5-6 violence in Tbilisi
President Salome Zurabishvili and Ombudswoman NIno Lomjaria held a close-door meeting earlier today. Photo: Public Defender's Facebook
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Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili and Ombudswoman Nino Lomjaria have met today following the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava to discuss the violent developments in Tbilisi on July 5-6.
President’s press office announced that during the meeting the President, ‘as a guarantor of human rights protection by the Constitution’ and the Ombudswoman, ‘as a human rights defender’, spoke about ‘easing the current tension and reducing controversies’ in Georgia.
We had a very sincere conversation. I cannot speak about the President’s attitudes or remarks, [but] she will probably make her own statements in coming days”, Lomjaria told journalists following the meeting with Zurabishvili.
Lomjaria however said that during this close-door meeting with the President, she told Salome Zurabishvili that the organisers of the Tbilisi Pride counter rally of July 5 should be persecuted for group violence.
The Ombudswoman said she also spoke about Lekso Lashkarava’s death and the overall threats that right-wing violent groups pose to the country.
The President is worried about all of the issues that we have discussed… We spoke about the human rights… I have meanwhile negatively assessed today's statements of [Prime Minister] Irakli Garibashvili, which I find undemocratic and against human rights”, Lomjaria said.
Nino Lomjaria has also underscored in her remarks how important the President’s position and her massages are especially today for protecting democratic values and human rights in the country.
Public Defender’s Statement on Investigation of Actions of Organizers of July 5-6 events https://t.co/Np99r8GbP0
— Ombudsman of Georgia (@Ombudsman_Geo) July 12, 2021
In her statement released earlier today, Lomjaria called on the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor's Office ‘to identify the main persons responsible for the actions of the alleged violent groups as soon as possible, as a matter of priority, and to launch criminal proceedings against them, as well as to proactively inform the public about the progress of the investigation’.
Stressing that the Public Defender’s Office will continue to monitor the investigation into the events of July 5 and 6, Nino Lomjaria calls on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to conduct an effective investigation into the death of the TV Pirveli cameraman.
TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, 36, was found dead at home yesterday. He was one of the 53 media representatives who were attacked by right-wing groups during the Tbilisi Pride counter rally on June 5.
Lashkarava, who had received a concussion, facial bone fractures and multiple bruises, underwent treatment at home after the medical surgery.
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan says that the authorities are responsible for providing a peaceful environment for citizens to exercise their constitutional rights, including the right to assembly, the right to freedom of expression and the right for journalists to practice their profession in a safe environment.
The Georgian ruling party has accused the opposition of ‘trading by tragedy’ following the death of the TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who was found dead yesterday after being attacked by right-wing counter protesters of the Tbilisi Pride march on July 5. The head of the ruling party Irakli Kobakhidze said earlier today that the organisers of yesterday's rally, protesting the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, are the leaders of radical, anti-Christian groups, ‘who decided to score points on the death of the colleague.’
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili responded to yesterday's rally of journalists, civil activists and politicians who gathered in front of the parliament building to pay tribute to TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava and demand Garibashvili’s resignation. Garibashvili said that 'they tried to use this tragedy to achieve their own political goals'.
Police have detained one more individual who attacked TV Pirveli journalists in the office of the Shame Movement in Tbilisi on July 5 during the counter-rally against the Tbilisi Pride march. The Ministry of Internal Affair reports that in total 20 people have been arrested for verbally and physically assaulting media representatives on July 5 of which five are detained for attacking the TV Pirveli crew.
Journalists, civil activists and politicians have again gathered in front of the parliament building in downtown Tbilisi demanding Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s resignation, following the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who was one of the 53 media representatives attacked by the right-wing groups during the Tbilisi Pride counter rally.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has provided more details to support its claim that TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, who was beaten severely at the July 5 Tbilisi pride counter rally, died due to a drug overdose.
The protest at the headquarters of the ruling Georgian Dream party which moved from downtown Tbilisi demanding Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili’s resignation has ended for today. 12 protesters were detained after they threw eggs and painted the walls of the headquarter with the red paint.
Journalists and cameramen took the podium today during a briefing of Deputy Health Minister Tamar Gabunia, and held a minute of silence in protest of the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava. Deputy Health Minister Gabunia was going to introduce the latest decisions of today's Interagency Council Meeting before the incident took place.
Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has asked the country’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office to launch a criminal prosecution against archpriest Spiridon Tskipirishvili and a right-wing activist and an anchor of ultra-nationalist Internet platform Alt-Info Zurab Makharadze for their role on an anti-LGBT demonstration in central Tbilisi in early July.