All 37 detained at parliament rallies temporarily released
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All 37 individuals who were detained during the November 18 rally dispersal in front of the parliament building of Georgia for hooliganism and disobedience to police have been temporarily released by a Tbilisi City Court judge late yesterday.
Discussions around the cases are scheduled to resume later today at the same court.
The leader of the political party Girchi Zurab Japaridze was released earlier per a personal release agreement, while 36 others were released late yesterday.
The protests in Tbilisi were sparked after the rejection of the election bill last week, proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, offering the transition to a fully proportional electoral system from 2020 instead of 2024.
Police dispersed a rally after warning the demonstrators and giving them half an hour to leave the scene. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
The ruling party accepted the changes in the summer, during the June protests in Tbilisi, to calm crowds.
The demonstrators and detainees are accusing the government of ‘breaking its promise and cheating the people.’
Police dispersed the rally with the use of water cannons at parliament on Monday after warning the demonstrators “who violated the 9th article of the law on manifestation,” which bans blocking the entrances of parliament and hampering the work of the legislative body.
A ruling Georgian Dream (GD) majoritarian MP Dimitri Khundadze has offered the country to switch to a fully majoritarian electoral system amid protests in Tbilisi which were sparked by the rejection of the GD-proposed bill on the transition to a fully proportional electoral system from 2020.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has responded to the rally dispersal on Monday and stated that police acted in full line with the law “as irresponsible politicians” made demonstrators violate the law and hamper the work of the legislative body.Gakharia stated that the freedom of expression and assembly is “fully protected in the country” and the government uses force only when demonstrators violate the law.
Protest rally, triggered by the parliament’s rejection of an electoral bill aimed at moving from a mixed system to a proportional one, has resumed on Monday evening after police used water cannon to disperse the demonstration. Meanwhile, the Interior Ministry reported that a total of 37 people have been detained, while four demonstrator ansd two law enforcers - injured during the dispersal.
Police have reportedly detained about 10 people during the dispersal of a rally in front of the parliament building in Tbilisi earlier today. Radio Liberty reports the alleged detention of the leader of Girchi party Zurab Japaridze, member of the United National Movement opposition party Otar Siradze, activists Giga Maqarashvili and Zuka Berdzenishvili, lawyer Beka Basilaia and several others.
The leader of the European Georgia opposition party David Bakradze has announced a “large-scale” rally on Monday, November 25 in front of parliament, adding that demonstrators will ‘peacefully block the entrances’ of the legislative body on November 26.He stated that the opposition “is not happy” about blocking the parliament activities. However, “the current state leadership has left no other way."
Demonstrators who have been protesting the rejection of the election bill since November 14 have gathered in front of the administration building of the government of Georgia in central Tbilisi earlier today, demanding snap parliamentary elections with the use of a fully proportional electoral system, conducted by an interim government.Protests in Tbilisi were sparked after the ruling Georgian Dream party proposed election bill last week was scrapped.
Ten demonstrators detained during the November 18 rally dispersal in central Tbilisi have been sent to five-13 days in prison for ‘hooliganism and disobedience to police.’
Georgian Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani says that Georgia needs a mixed electoral system, “with MPs elected through the majoritarian race and based on party lists, including a reasonable election threshold.”
Police have detained yet another member of the Shecvale (change) youth movement, Tite Gedenidze, in front of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party office earlier today.