The Public Defender of Georgia has filed a petition to the Tbilisi City Court, challenging the classification of citizens detained during the June 2 protests as lawbreakers which “will result in an unjustified interference with freedom of assembly and expression guaranteed by the Constitution of Georgia”.
The Public Defender submitted the so-called friendly opinion (amicus curiae) to the Tbilisi City Court on five cases related to June 2 detentions (the cases of Saba Brachveli, Eduard Marikashvili, Nika Romanadze, Grigol Prangishvili, and Nodar Sikharulidze), providing information on international standards, the European Court judgments and the Constitutional Court practice.
According to the PD, the analysis of materials showed that the rally participants acted non-violently, without aggression towards law enforcement or bystanders, and without causing disruption to transportation or citizens.
The Public Defender stresses that freedom of expression also protects provocative or disturbing messages, especially those of a political nature. In addition, the Public Defender’s Office intends to continue studying other cases of detained demonstrators as soon as it has access to relevant materials.
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