One arrested for assaulting law enforcement, setting police car on fire at protest
The Ministry said the offender had earlier records of disobedience of police officers and charges of domestic violence. Photo: Interior Ministry press office
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The Georgian Interior Ministry on Wednesday said it had arrested one individual for assaulting law enforcement officers and damaging their vehicle during the protests against the bill on transparency of foreign influence in the country’s capital of Tbilisi between March 7-9.
The body said the 21-year-old had thrown stones and Molotov cocktails at law enforcement who were “ensuring safety” on the ground, before setting their vehicle on fire.
The Ministry also noted the offender had earlier records of disobedience of police officers and charges of domestic violence.
The Ministry released a video identifying the offender. Video: Interior Ministry press office.
On March 10, the body said 58 law enforcement officers had received “various injuries” during the rallies that protested the Parliament’s discussion of the controversial bill, with 113 arrested for “violation of public order [and] rule of law”.
The Ministry noted several of the offenders had been brought before court shortly after while others had been released before their trials, and pledged those involved in the clashes would be “held accountable”.
The Georgian Parliament on March 10 formally retracted the draft law, following the decision by the ruling Georgian Dream party the previous day to withdraw it.
Young demonstrators on Friday prevented Giorgi Vashadze, the head of the Strategy Agmashenebeli opposition party, from addressing the audience outside the Parliament in Tbilisi before they ended the rally against the now-shelved controversial bill on transparency of foreign influence.
The Georgian Interior Ministry on Friday said 58 law enforcement officers had received “various injuries” while ensuring safety during the rallies in central Tbilisi on Tuesday and Wednesday that protested the Parliament’s discussion of the controversial bill on transparency of foreign influence.
Aleksandre Rakviashvili, an MP of the Girchi opposition party, on Thursday said the calls by Giorgi Vashadze, the Chair of the Strategy Agmashenebeli party, for demonstrators protesting the foreign influence transparency bill in Tbilisi on Wednesday to “besiege” the Parliament building had been “irresponsible”.
The Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia on Monday rejected claims of an individual arrested for assaulting police during last month’s protests in Tbilisi against the bill on transparency of foreign influence having had his hair shaven against his will and denied access to his legal team.
Three individuals have been arrested for assaulting law enforcement officers in southeastern Georgia’s Marneuli region, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday.
Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Monday said “non-transparent” foreign funding of domestic organisations remained a “problem” in the country and claimed donations from several European-and United States-based foundations were being used to “campaign for violence”.
The European Union delegation to Georgia on Thursday welcomed the announcement by the ruling Georgian Dream party on withdrawal of the draft legislation on transparency of foreign influence.
Police officers injured at public rallies held in Tbilisi earlier this year against a proposed bill on transparency of foreign influence on Wednesday asked President Salome Zourabichvili to refrain from pardoning Lazare Grigoriadis, a protester arrested for alleged assault on law enforcement.