Updated: 16:10
The Georgian law enforcement on Monday arrested 19 demonstrators for disobeying police and petty hooliganism at a protest against the entry of a cruise ship in the country’s Black Sea city of Batumi that carried Russian citizens in a cruise organised by a Russian channel on the backdrop of Moscow’s ingoing aggression against Ukraine, the Public Defender's Office said.
One of the detainees is allegedly a citizen of Ukraine, the Ombudsman's Office added.
Earlier at 12:16
The Georgian law enforcement on Monday arrested nine demonstrators for disobeying police at a protest against the entry of a cruise ship in the country’s Black Sea city of Batumi that carried Russian citizens in a cruise organised by a Russian channel on the backdrop of Moscow’s ingoing aggression against Ukraine.
The Georgian Interior Ministry said those arrested had refused to comply with “lawful demands” of police officers, as figures from the domestic opposition, civil society groups and ordinary citizens protested the arrival on Thursday of the cruise trip organised by a Russian music channel.
Irakli Dgebuadze, the head of the Batumi division of the Interior Ministry, on Monday said the ship had been checked by the law enforcement similar to “all other cruise ships” upon its arrival, as part of mandatory procedures, in comments on media reports on the presence of the law enforcement on the specific ship.
The body further explained that law enforcement from the Patrol Police Department and the representatives of the Border Management and Coordination Main Division carried out mandatory inspection procedures on all incoming ships.
Guram Guramishvili, the Georgian Deputy Economy Minister, on Sunday said the cruise ship was sailing under the Palau flag and was not sanctioned for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year.
The Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia on Thursday said the cruise ship had arrived in Batumi port from Turkey.