In Georgia, "Civil Front" activists convicted for disobeying police

The Tbilisi City Court found 8 members of the NGO "Civil Front" guilty of disobeying the police; 5 of them were sentenced to arrest, and three of them to fines.

The activists of the NGO "Civil Front" were arrested on May 29. During the protest action, which took place in front of the Parliament, they blocked Rustaveli Avenue in Tbilisi.

According to representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), the participants of the protest actions refused to obey the lawful request of the police to leave the roadway and rendered resistance to police patrol officers, and on that ground they were detained.

On May 30, the Tbilisi City Court under Article 173 of the Administrative Code of Georgia (disobedience to legitimate demand of police) sentenced Zaza Svanadze, Irakly Beraya and Irakly Kachiuri to 30 days of imprisonment, and Sergo Kiguradze and Akaky Omaladze to 15 days of imprisonment. At the same time, the Court ordered Maya Makhashvili, Ketevan Goginashvili, and Liya Gamrekeli to pay fines amounting to 400 laris (about 294 US dollars), the "News-Georgia" reports.

It should be noted that on May 29, during the protest action in front of the Georgian Parliament, the "Civil Front" campaigned against the arrest of its representatives on May 26 in Kutaisi for disobeying the police. According to the Georgian MIA, seven representatives of the "Civil Front", detained in Kutaisi, were sentenced to fine of 400 laris, and three of them to 4 and 5 days of imprisonment, the edition "New Region" reports.