Investigative actions are currently being carried out on Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi in connection with the events of June 20-21, 2019 (the so-called "Gavrilov Night"). The Prosecutor's Office announced this information, explaining that these actions are being carried out based on a decision by the Strasbourg Court. Rustaveli Avenue is currently closed off.
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"The European Court of Human Rights issued a decision regarding the criminal case under investigation by the Tbilisi Prosecutor's Office, concerning facts of abuse of power and use of force by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in maintaining and restoring public order in Tbilisi on June 20-21, 2019.
In this criminal case, a procedural violation of Article 3 of the European Convention was found. As a result, the state was ordered to conduct specific investigative actions, including those involving victims, to properly assess the Ministry of Internal Affairs' planning of the event and determine if excessive force was used.
Considering the decision and recommendations of the Strasbourg Court, investigative actions are currently underway on Rustaveli Avenue with the participation of victims to ensure an effective investigation. These actions will enable the investigation to fully reconstruct the crime scene and identify individuals who may have committed crimes," the Prosecutor's Office stated in its announcement.
On May 7, 2024, the European Court of Human Rights found a procedural violation of a right guaranteed by the European Convention in the case of the dispersal of the June 20-21, 2019, rally. It ordered Georgia to pay a total of €153,600 to the affected citizens for moral damages. According to the court's decision, Article 3 of the Convention was violated, which obligates the state to investigate allegations of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment, or punishment.
Nona Tsotsoria, former judge of the ECHR, commented on the statement released by the Prosecutor's Office today. According to her, since the June 20 case has been referred to the Grand Chamber of the Court, the investigation is not subject to enforcement.
"Information has just been released that investigative actions are being carried out on Rustaveli Avenue to ensure an effective investigation into the June 20, 2019, case. The point is that the decision of the Strasbourg Court, Tsaava and Others v. Georgia, nos. 13186/20 and 4 others, which these measures are supposedly 'enforcing,' has been appealed to the Grand Chamber and is not subject to enforcement.
The expectation that the Grand Chamber will also recognize a procedural violation in this case is certainly well-founded, but such eagerness has a completely different purpose. This isn't the first time the regime has used the European Court for political aims," Tsotsoria stated.
In the case of Tsaava and Others v. Georgia, 26 Georgian citizens were applicants. It concerns the dispersal of a rally in front of the Parliament building in Tbilisi on June 20-21, 2019. The large-scale protest followed Russian Duma member Sergey Gavrilov occupying the chair of the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia and speaking in Russian.
On the night of June 20-21, 342 people were arrested by Ministry of Internal Affairs employees for violating public order and disobeying the lawful demands of law enforcement. According to official data, 240 people were hospitalized, including 80 law enforcement officers. Due to injuries sustained, 18-year-old Mako Gomuri and 31-year-old Giorgi Sulashvili lost an eye. More than 30 journalists were also injured.
Due to the protests, Irakli Kobakhidze resigned from his position as Speaker of Parliament, and Zakaria Kutsnashvili, a Georgian Dream MP who initiated the assembly in Georgia, renounced his mandate. As for the then Minister of Internal Affairs, Giorgi Gakharia, he became Prime Minister within three months and held that position until his resignation in February 2021.
