The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has arrested six more participants in the rallies held near the Parliament building to protest the so-called Agents Russian Law. The investigation against them is being conducted under the first parts of Articles 353 prima and 187 of the Criminal Code, which pertain to assault on a police officer and damage to property.
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The Tbilisi Police Department Director, Sulkhan Tamazashvili, stated that the citizens were arrested on May 8-9. As he said, the Internal Affairs Ministry continues its investigative activities to identify and arrest those individuals who committed illegal actions during the ongoing events.
“The investigation revealed that during the April 16th protest, one of the detainees threw a blunt object at law enforcement officers, injuring the Special Tasks Department employee in the eye area. Additionally, on April 16th of this year, one of the arrested individuals damaged a vehicle registered on the balance sheet of the Patrol Police Department.
During the ongoing protest on May 1-2, two of the arrested individuals damaged the video surveillance cameras of the Public Security Management Center 112 of the Internal Affairs Ministry.
"On May 1, one of the detainees damaged the gates of the Parliament during the ongoing rally near the legislative body. Additionally, he threw a stone in the direction of the employees of the Internal Affairs Ministry in the Parliament’s yard, resulting in an injury to a firefighter from the emergency management service. Furthermore, during the ongoing protest action on May 1, another individual damaged the external surveillance camera installed on the building of the Special State Protection Service," Tamazashvili said at the briefing held at the Internal Affairs Ministry.
Assaulting a police officer is punishable by 4 to 7 years in prison. Damage to someone else's property is punishable by a fine, community service for a term of 100 to 180 hours, correctional work for a term of up to 1 year, house arrest for a term of 6 months to 2 years, or imprisonment for a term of 1 to 5 years.
Additionally, based on the information from Sulkhan Tamazashvili, in connection with the violent actions carried out by citizens during the protests from April 15 to the present day, the Central Criminal Police Department began an investigation on May 8 under three articles of the Criminal Code: Article 222, which pertains to the seizure or blocking of a strategic or particularly important object; Article 225, which concerns organizing, leading, or participating in group violence; and Article 226, which relates to the organization of a group action that grossly violates public order or is related to clear disobedience to the lawful request of a government official, or that has caused a disruption in the operation of transport, an institution, or an organization.
"In connection with the mentioned criminal cases, the Internal Affairs Ministry is conducting active investigative actions, including the analysis of all calls, public speeches, and appeals, as well as video materials, which contain signs of a criminal offense. As part of the investigation, law enforcement officers will interrogate the organizers of the rally, political leaders, and all individuals who may have some kind of connection with the mentioned criminal case," said Sulkhan Tamazashvili.
More than 100 peaceful protesters were arrested at the rallies against the Russian Law, which have been ongoing in Tbilisi since April 15. The Internal Affairs Ministry employed water cannons, tear gas, and pepper spray against the rally participants. Despite the Internal Affairs Ministry denying their use, citizens were also injured by rubber bullets. Personnel from the Special Tasks Department and special forces pursued citizens in narrow streets and physically assaulted them. Opposition deputies of the Georgian Parliament, Aleksandre Elisashvili and Levan Khabeishvili, were also beaten at the rallies. Additionally, force was utilized against journalists.
As per the Public Defender's assessment, the Internal Affairs Ministry had no grounds for employing force at the April 30 rally. The ombudsman reminded the ministry that if rally participants stray from peaceful assembly, only necessary and proportionate measures should be taken against them. "In contrast to the above, law enforcement officers initiated the use of special measures against assembly participants, including peaceful demonstrators, which contradicts the standard of necessary and proportionate intervention in the right," stated Levan Ioseliani.
The international human rights organization, Amnesty International, reported on the crackdown during the April 17 demonstration, stating that instead of aiding the peaceful protest, the police carried out a punitive operation. The organization's statement highlights that police pursued fleeing protesters, striking them with batons, and surrounded them, mercilessly beating those who fell to the ground.
