According to multiple testimonies and media reports, tens of protesters received official summonses to be interrogated by the Criminal Police over the wave of protests that swept Georgia after the law on foreign agents was re-submitted to the parliament.
Civil.ge and other media saw several letters of summonses. They are issued by the “Division of Especially Important Cases of the Main Directorate for the Fight against Organized Crime.” Some letters only contain the criminal case number without indicating the charges or the subject of investigation.
Others point to specific articles of the criminal code, namely:
- Article 222: Occupation of blocking of the broadcasting or communications facility or an especially important facility – the article foresees the sanction of up to two years in prison or, in case of aggravating circumstances, two to four years of imprisonment.
- Article 225: organizing, leading, or participating in collective acts of violence: organizing or leading is punishable by six to nine years in prison, and participation by four to six years in prison.
- Article 226: Organizing a collective action that disrupts public order or active participation in such an action – up to three years in prison.
Human rights watchdogs say the summonses are used as means of intimidation. They remind those who have been summoned that they are not under the legal obligation to appear for such an inquest. They advise protesters to request interrogation in court, where the charges and the status of the summoned person (witness, suspect…) has to be formally communicated and the attendance of the defense lawyer is obligatory.
