ECHR Ruling confirms Georgian police act within European standards during 2020 protests, says Deputy Justice Minister

Beka Dzamashvili, the Deputy Minister of Justice of Georgia, on Wednesday said the European Court of Human Rights had ruled in favour of Georgia in the case Matchavariani v. Georgia, reaffirming that the country’s police and judicial authorities acted in compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights during a 2020 protest-related detention.

Dzamashvili welcomed the ruling, stating it confirmed that Georgian police operated in line with European standards during assemblies and demonstrations.

“Specifically in relation to this applicant, the Strasbourg Court noted that his freedom of expression and freedom of assembly were respected, and that the judicial proceedings against him were fair - in particular, the principle of adversarial proceedings was upheld, and the judge was impartial”, the official said.

“What is most important and somewhat precedent-setting in this decision is the issue of his detention. The European Court stated that when a protester brings items to a demonstration that pose a threat to public safety - and in this particular case, it involved bringing firewood - but this applies to any similar objects, and when the person refuses to comply with a police officer’s order, then the state has full authority to detain and even fine the individual”, he continued.

The Court found no violations of Matchavariani’s freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, or right to a fair trial.

Additionally, it held that his administrative detention complied with Article 5 of the European Convention, which governs the right to liberty and security.