2 Young Men Arrested for Damaging Iron Dam Near Parliament

The Internal Affairs Ministry has reported that during the ongoing protest near the Parliament building on May 14, S.M. and O.O., along with others, deliberately damaged the iron protective dam at the Parliament's entrance using physical force and an iron object.

"Investigative activities are ongoing to identify and arrest other individuals involved in the crime. The investigation is being conducted under Article 187, Part 2, Sub-Clause of the Criminal Code, which pertains to group damage to an object," stated the Internal Affairs Ministry.

Yesterday, on May 15, the police arrested Giorgi Okmelashvili, the director of the advertising company Limon, on charges of assaulting a police officer while performing official duties. The crime is punishable by 4 to 7 years of imprisonment.

Six more people have been arrested under criminal law for assaulting a police officer and damaging property.

For a month, numerous demonstrations have been held in Tbilisi against the Russian Law. The special forces and the police have repeatedly dispersed the peaceful protesters. More than a hundred participants in the demonstrations have been arrested. Representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs severely beat protesting MPs Aleksandre Elisashvili and Levan Khabeishvili, civil activist Davit Katsarava, and others. Unknown individuals, who have not been arrested so far, attacked several participants in the anti-Russian law protests and inflicted multiple bodily injuries.

Georgian Dream adopted the Russian Law with 84 votes against 30 on May 14 in the third and final reading. President Salome Zourabichvili announced her intention to veto the Russian Law. She has a two-week deadline to do so, until May 28. The Georgian Dream has the ability to overcome the President's veto.