A court in Tbilisi sentenced seven detained oppositionists to fines and arrest

Three participants of an oppositional action in defense of the detainees' rights in the capital of Georgia have been sentenced by the court to an administrative arrest, four others will have to pay a fine to a sum of 400 lari (about 230 dollars).

Activists of oppositional parties and non-governmental organizations blocked a street near the Ministry of Execution of Punishments calling to release the convicts who in their opinion had been unlawfully condemned. Seven participants of the meeting were detained.

On March, 25, activists Georgi Kharabadze and Merab Chikashvili were sentenced to a twenty-day's term of imprisonment and Akaki Chikovani will spend 10 days in prison. The court fined four other participants of the action to a sum of 400 lari (equal to about 230 dollars). All the defendants were accused of insubordination to legal demands of the police according to the Administrative code of Georgia.

The authorities state that the oppositionists had no right to block the carriageway of Kazbegi avenue, one of the central public transport systems of the city, radio "Echo of the Caucasus" reports.

Irma Inashvili, representative of "Confrontation Movement", told the journalists that the action had been sanctioned. The organizers informed Mayor's Office of the action they were planning and their intention to block the avenue beforehand, Russian Agency of Legal and Juridical Information reports.

Gela Nikolaishvily, Georgian lawyer and human rights activist, who had been present both at the action and at the trial said that the participants of the peaceful meeting had not violated any laws but the policemen used force, hustling them away from the roadway, and then detained seven people, allegedly for insubordination to lawful orders of the police.