European Court of Human Rights: Georgian authorities showed “degree of tolerance” to November 2019 demonstration protesters
In its ruling the court said “ensuring the effective functioning of Parliament is a value of key importance for a democratic society”. Photo: Reuters
Tweet 
Share
The European Court of Human Rights on Wednesday ruled that the Georgian authorities had shown “a degree of tolerance” towards participants of the demonstration dispersed in November 2019 outside the parliament building in capital Tbilisi.
The ruling comes in cases submitted to the ECHR by Georgian social activists Giga Makarashvili, Zuka Berdzenishvili and Irakli Kacharava in 2020, with the three detained during the dispersal of the rally on November 18 of the preceding year that protested the legislative body’s rejection of the ruling party-proposed bill on changing the election system to proportional vote for the next elections in the country.
The three members of the civic movement Shame were among 10 individuals detained at the protest for disobedience to police and hooliganism and spent 12, four and seven days in prison respectively.
The Court does not consider that the authorities failed to show a degree of tolerance towards the gathering. Additionally, had the applicants [Makarashvili and Berdzenishvili] obeyed the order to clear the road leading to the Parliament, nothing would have prevented them from continuing with the protest”, the ruling said.
In its ruling the court said “ensuring the effective functioning of Parliament is a value of key importance for a democratic society”.
The complete obstruction of the entrances to the Parliament’s building and later of the police efforts to reopen those entrances, in blatant disregard of the domestic legislation, multiple warnings given to them, and of the needs and rights of the democratically elected members of Parliament to discharge their functions which are essential in any democratic society can be described as “reprehensible” conduct”, it also noted.
In the case of Kacharava, the court ruled the available domestic material had not demonstrated that he was among organisers of the demonstration, or had personally blocked either the entrances to the parliament building or police’s attempts of clearing the areas. Kacharava has been awarded €1,600 in respect of non‑pecuniary damage.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has accepted cases of Geogian social activists Giga Makarashvili, Zuka Berdzenishvili and Irakli Kacharava who were detained during the November 18 rally dispersal in Tbilisi.
“All against one” is the slogan under which the opposition will start marching on Rustaveli Street in Kutaisi and finish with a rally at Kutaisi City Hall on December 6.
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.
The Georgian Interior Ministry has used water cannon to disperse the rally in front of parliament in Tbilisi after demonstrators refused to leave the territory and allow MPs in the legislative body. The demonstrators, who are protesting the rejection of an election bill, refused to leave the area within 30 minutes, in the time given to them by the Interior Ministry.
Georgian justice minister Rati Bregadze on Thursday said the decision of the European court of human rights on Georgian authorities having shown “a degree of tolerance” towards protesters of a 2019 demonstration in Tbilisi “clearly emphasised” that protection of human rights in Georgia was carried out “at a very high level” and in accordance with the “European standard”.