Human rights activists in Georgia demand impartial investigation of dispersal of the veterans’ action

Twelve non-governmental organizations of Georgia have signed a joint statement with a demand that the Ministry of Interior Affairs and Prosecutor General's of Georgia should carry out an impartial investigation of dispersal of the veterans’ action in Tbilisi.

“Caucasian Knot” has already reported that on January, 3, the personnel of Georgian police using force dispersed an action of protest of war veterans in Tbilisi who were demanding the authorities’ response to their problems, in particular, improvement of their social living conditions.

Representatives of the Ministry of Interior Affairs promised to investigate possible abuse of authority by the policemen during the dispersal of the veterans’ action. Besides, the statement of the Ministry runs that policeman Otar Gvenetadze who violated the “Regulations of the Ethical Code” during dispersal of the veterans’ action of hunger-strike has been discharged.

Users of Facebook social network have started an online campaign to call the policeman to account on the basis of video recording of the dispersal of the action. One can see a man wearing civilian attire on the video who struck a woman in her face. The man was recognized as Otar Gvenetadze. The woman struck by Gvenetadze was Eka Matiashvili, activist of the Georgian party, “Echo of the Caucasus” reports.

Representatives of NGOs consider that discharge is not an enough punishment for physical violence. “A criminal offence has been committed which is confirmed by the video”, Tamar Chugoshvili, Head of Association of Young Lawyers of Georgia, says.