State service investigating alleged abuse of power by law enforcement at Tbilisi rally
Georgia’s Special Investigation Service said the incident involved the opposition politician Zurab Japarizde. Photo: Georgia’s Special Investigation Service
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Georgia’s Special Investigation Service on Wednesday announced it was investigating alleged instances of abuse of power by law enforcement officers during a rally in central Tbilisi late on Tuesday that protested the controversial domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence.
The agency said it was looking into alleged violence against the opposition politician Zurab Girchi Japaridze, who was reportedly beaten by riot police after being detained near the Parliament building.
Japaridze’s wife claimed in her social media post on Wednesday the officers had used pepper spray before assaulting her husband.
The Georgian Interior Ministry on Wednesday said its employees had arrested 66 people for “petty hooliganism”, disobedience to law enforcement and throwing “Molotov cocktails and stones” at officers as protesters clashed with law enforcement as the legislative body gave its initial backing to the bill proposed by former members of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
The proposed bill - condemned by the domestic opposition and civil sector, as well as diplomatic representations in Georgia and European and United States officials - involves registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “agents of foreign influence” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the Georgian authorities had shown “utmost respect” to the European institutions by forwarding the bill to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe for opinion.
He said the party would wait for the Commission's recommendations and continue “to act accordingly”.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said the Georgian authorities had showed “utmost respect” to the European institutions by forwarding the proposed domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence, which passed the first reading at the country’s Parliament on Tuesday, to the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe for opinion.
Josep Borrell, the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, on Tuesday said the proposed Georgian bill on the transparency of foreign influence, which passed the first reading at the country’s Parliament on Tuesday, was “incompatible” with European Union values and standards.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday vowed the Georgian authorities’ support for the country’s European integration by saying the “march forward to Europe” would be facilitated “with Christianity”, “with sovereignty” and “with dignity”.
The Georgian police on Wednesday said it had arrested 66 people for “petty hooliganism”, disobedience to law enforcement and throwing “Molotov cocktails and stones” at officers during a protest outside the Parliament building in Tbilisi after the legislative body gave its initial backing to a proposed bill on transparency of foreign influence in its first reading.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday published the letter sent by the official to Bazy Malaurie, the President of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, for requesting the body’s opinion on the controversial bill on transparency of foreign influence that has met by a backlash in Georgia.
The Georgian police detained ten more people for disobedience to law enforcement during a protest outside the Parliament building in Tbilisi after the legislative body gave its initial backing to a proposed bill on transparency of foreign influence in its first reading, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday.
Giorgi Vashadze, the Chair of the Strategy Agmashenebeli opposition party, called on the participants of the rally to besiege the Parliament building, who have been gathered to protest the adoption of the bill on transparency of foreign influence by the legislative body at the first hearing, the Public Broadcaster said on Wednesday.
Georgia’s Special Investigation Service on Thursday announced it was investigating alleged instances of abuse of power by law enforcement officers during protests in central Tbilisi against the controversial domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence.