Interior Minister questioned at Prosecutor’s Office

Giorgi Gakharia spoke with journalists after the questioned at the Prosecutor’s Office on July 17. Photo: Interior Ministry press office

Agenda.ge, 17 Jul 2019 - 23:04, Tbilisi,Georgia

The Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia was questioned at the Prosecutor’s Office earlier today over the June 20-21 developments in front of the parliament in Tbilisi.

Minister Gakharia spoke with journalists after the questioning and said that now it is important for the investigation to identify the organisers who triggered “an organised and violent raid” on the parliament building.

Politicians, concrete persons, made the peaceful rally violent, which was followed by organised, violent, systemic storm on the parliament of Georgia”, Gakharia said.

He again explained that to counter the raid the police was “forced to use certain equipment”.

Gakharia also underscored that the main issue for him and the entire government of Georgia is to take care of those citizens who were injured during the dispersal of the rally. 

I will come [in for questioning] as many times as necessary... because we are very well aware where is the truth and we are coming here and telling the truth”, he concluded.

Protest rallies that were sparked by Russian MPs visit to Georgia are still underway on Rustaveli Avenue in central Tbilisi with peaceful demonstrators demanding Minister Gakharia's resignation for the dispersal of the rally. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge

Interior Minister Gakharia said in his previous televised interviews that the rally became “violent” from 10 p.m, following “a systemic and organised” attack of [opposition] politicians on the parliament building on June 20.

Minister Gakharia also said that he gave order that  the rally was dispersed after some demonstrators decided to storm the parliament building and police used their “legitimate power” to protect the state “from institutional breakdown” and public confrontation.