Protesters detained on administrative offences in transparency bill protests released
As the Ministry noted, some of the detainees were brought before the court, while the rest were released based on the expiry of the term of stay in the pre-trial detention centre. Photo via Interior Ministry
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All individuals detained by police for administrative offences on Tuesday and Wednesday outside the Parliament building in Tbilisi during a protest against the bill on transparency of foreign influence [adopted by the legislative body in its first reading], have been released, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday.
As the Ministry noted, some of the detainees were brought before the court, while the rest were released based on the expiry of the term of stay in the pre-trial detention centre.
Investigative activities are being carried out in order to determine, identify, and arrest those who attacked the police and to expose other violent acts during the protest, the Ministry said in its statement, noting the investigation was underway for disobedience to law enforcement and damaging or destroying another person’s property.
The representatives of the domestic opposition, members of the public, representatives of non-governmental organisations and students are currently gathered in front of the Parliament building, the local media reported.
Georgian police arrested 133 individuals during protests outside the Parliament in central Tbilisi on Tuesday and Wednesday against the controversial domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence, the Ministry of Internal Affairs announced on Thursday.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday called on domestic opposition “to refrain from speculations”, stressing a “political decision” made by the party to withdraw the bill on transparency of foreign influence from the Parliament, could not be revised “under any circumstances”.
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 leader of the Strategy Agmashenebeli opposition party, on Wednesday called on the participants of the rally to besiege the Parliament building.
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.
The Police Department of Georgia’s western region of Adjara has detained one person for violation of safety regulations following an incident that led to the death of a minor in the seaside city’s boulevard on Sunday.
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.
Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri on Friday said March protests in Tbilisi against the Bill on Transparency of Foreign Influence had “turned into violence” despite “numerous calls” from his office to protesters to act peacefully.