Public Defender urges protesters, law enforcement to maintain “peaceful” rallies, “refrain from interfering” with demonstrators

Levan Ioseliani, the Georgian Public Defender, on Wednesday called on protesters against the controversial domestic bill on transparency of foreign influence to maintain a “peaceful form of gathering” while also urging law enforcement to “refrain from interfering with the freedom of expression of our citizens”.

Ioseliani was speaking after 63 people were arrested and 11 injured in clashes between protesters and law enforcement outside the Parliament in Tbilisi between Tuesday and Wednesday during public rallies.

He urged the protesting citizens to ensure the rallies “do not turn into an additional escalation” while also calling on the police to avoid “exercising violence” against the former.

The second hearing of the draft law, which calls for the registration of non-commercial legal entities and media outlets in the country as “pursuing the interests of a foreign power” if they derive more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad, is ongoing at the Parliament.

The bill has been reintroduced by the ruling Georgian Dream party after its retraction following protests last year, and has sparked public protests outside the legislative body.