30 March 2011, 22:50
Georgia hosts action with demand to release detained oppositionists
A number of NGOs have held an action in Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi with a demand to release the opposition activists, who spoke in support of Georgian prisoners and were detained on March 25.
Let us remind you that the protesters were detained by the police after they tried to block the roadway and stop the traffic near the building of the Ministry for Correction, Probation and Legal Aid to Georgia and rendered resistance to policemen.
According to Lado Sadgobelashvili, head of the NGO "Language, Homeland, Faith", who is quoted by the "News-Georgia", the protest action on March 25 was sanctioned, and the police had no right to detain its participants.
Also, the organization named "Nationwide Resistance Movement" plans to hold another protest action - "I'm also a prisoner" - on April 4 at the Cinema House.
On March 28, Giorgi Kharabadze and Merab Chikashvili, participants of the March 25 action in defence of prisoners' rights, were sentenced to 20 days of imprisonment each, and Akaki Chikovani - to 10 days. Other four persons, including the actor Giya Burdzhanadze, were fined by the court by 400 laris (about 230 US dollars each). All the defendants were charged under the Administrative Code of Georgia of disobeying the lawful demands of the police.
