Ombudsman Asks OSCE/ODIHR For Legal Assessment on Amendments to Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations
On October 18, the Public Defender of Georgia (Ombudsman) sent a letter to the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE/ODIHR) requesting a legal opinion on the amendments to the Georgian “Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations”.
According to the statement released on 18 October, “In the letter, the Public Defender of Georgia pointed out that the submitted draft constitutes an intensive interference with the freedom of expression/assembly, which limits the expression of opinion through the use of temporary constructions (for example, a tent).
The official statement also emphasizes that “such an intensive restriction of freedom of expression in a democratic society can only be justified by the need to protect an important, weighty interest, which is not the case with the presented draft law”.
On October 4, the Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, issued a statement in opposition to the amendments that the Parliament was about to adopt.
On October 5, the Parliament endorsed the amendment to the “Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations” that the ruling party rushed through in an accelerated procedure.
On October 17, President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, vetoed the amendments to the law.
Also Read:
- 17/10/2023 – President Revokes Partskhaladze’s Citizenship & Vetoes “Tents Law” Ahead of Impeachment Procedure in Parliament
- 06/10/2023 – Parliament Adopts the Amendments to the Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations
- 05/10/2023 – Explainer | What is the “Tents Law” GD is Rushing through the Parliament?
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