16:56, 30 November 2019

Rights defenders call on to investigate violent dispersal of Tbilisi protests

Participants of the clashes near the parliament building in Tbilisi. Photo: screenshot of the video by Velikaya Armenia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJh0BXGSG1w

Gross violations by policemen of their instructions during the dispersal of protests in Tbilisi on June 20-21 should be thoroughly investigated; and the rules of using special means and equipment should be tightened, the NGO "Young Lawyers' Association" believes. However, Georgian authorities are fully approving the brutal crackdown on demonstrators, Shota Utiashvili, a political analyst, believes.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the above NGO presented a report on the events of June 20-21 in Tbilisi. The use of tear gas with firing rubber bullets was an unreasonable use of force, human rights defenders assert.

The "Young Lawyers' Association" has found out that rubber bullets were fired from short distance, aiming at vital body organs, at people who posed no threat to law enforcers.

The NGO activists believe that policemen failed to cope with the situation and pacify the protesters; besides, they failed to use the resources for dialogue with demonstrators.

"Not a single policeman was arrested for abusing his during the dispersal of protests," said Shota Utiashvili, an employee of the "Georgian Fund for Strategic and International Studies.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 29, 2019 at 11:58 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Inna Kukudjanova

Source: CK correspondent