The Georgian Public Defender, Levan Ioseliani, has responded to the crackdown on the April 30 peaceful demonstration against the Russian Law, stating that there was no justification for the use of force by the Internal Affairs Ministry. The Public Defender is calling on investigative agencies to conduct a thorough investigation into the incidents of disproportionate force usage, as well as the injury of media representatives.
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"At the time of the warning issued by the Georgian Internal Affairs Ministry at 23:36 on April 30, 2024, and even now, the rally maintains a peaceful character, and there is no justification to halt it or resort to force. Regarding the rally participants, should they exceed the boundaries of peaceful assembly, they ought to have been addressed individually - employing necessary and proportionate measures. However, contrary to this, law enforcement officers initiated the use of special means against the rally participants, including peaceful demonstrators, which contradicts the standard of necessary and proportionate intervention in their rights," states Levan Ioselian.
The Public Defender emphasizes that the freedom of peaceful assembly is safeguarded by the Constitution of Georgia and highlights that, according to the definition of the UN Human Rights Committee, "violence" entails the use of physical force by assembly participants, resulting in anticipated death, injury to health, or severe property damage. Consequently, according to the committee's definition, actions such as simple pushing or slapping should not be classified as violence.
"Acts of verbal or physical aggression or violence by individual persons or a small group of persons do not nullify the freedom of assembly of individuals who persist in peaceful behavior. In such instances, any intervention should be directed towards addressing the violent actions of specific individuals, rather than dispersing the entire assembly," notes Levan Ioseliani.
The Internal Affairs Ministry utilized pepper spray, tear gas, and water cannon to disperse the peaceful demonstration. Employees of the Special Tasks Department physically assaulted the youth.
