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MIA Arrests Four for Participation in June 20-21 “Group Violence”

The Interior Ministry said that four persons have been arrested on charges of organizing, heading and participating in group violence outside the Parliament building in Tbilisi on June 20-21.

In a statement released on July 4, the Interior Ministry noted that all of them resisted police officers, and assaulted them using various items. If convicted, the detainees could face imprisonment from six to nine years.

The Interior Ministry also said that “an intensive” process of identification of other persons is still underway. It released the video footage below, featuring the scenes of arrest by heavily armed special police troopers, as well as the June 20-21 footage of detainees physically assaulting police officers.

A group of opposition and civic activists gathered in front of the parliament of Georgia, condemning the Russian delegation’s presence at a session of the Inter-parliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy in the parliament’s plenary chamber on June 20.

Tensions mounted around 10pm Tbilisi time on June 20, when part of the protesters tried to break through the first cordon of the police, but were pushed back by the riot police. Situation remained tense overnight.

240 people, including 80 police officers and 34 journalists have been treated for injuries. Many severe injuries to civilians occurred later during the night after the police dispersed protesters through massive use of tear gas and rubber bullets, including so called “less-lethal” rounds.

On June 25, the Prosecutor’s Office charged MP Nika Melia of the opposition United National Movement under article 225 of the Criminal Code of Georgia. In late June the Tbilisi City Court imposed a GEL 30,000 bail on him and in early July the Court of Appeals upheld the ruling.

On July 4, the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia said that the collected material evidence as well as testimonies of “tens of witnesses” prove that a group of individuals plotted “a violent overthrow of the government followed by seizing of power” during the rally outside the Parliament building on June 20-21.

For more follow our tag on Tbilisi protests

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)

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