Georgian Justice Minister: probe to clarify use of force on June 20, 2019

Georgian Justice Minister Paata Salia on Friday commented on the events of June 20, 2019, noting that the investigation should shed light on whether force was applied proportionately.

In his remarks, Salia highlighted that the European Court of Human Rights stressed the importance of properly planning and proportionately applying force in such situations.

“The Strasbourg Court clearly emphasised that the state has the right to use force when there is an attack on state institutions, buildings, or police officers. Regarding the specific circumstances of 20 June, the Court ruled that the investigation should have been more effective - meaning that while the state has a legitimate right to use force in response to attacks on the police, parliament, or other government buildings, that force must be proportionate, properly planned and correctly applied”, the Minister noted.

“Therefore, we too have some questions, and the investigation will clarify whether force was proportionate in this case”, he continued.

The enforcement of the European Court of Human Rights’s ruling on the events of 20 June 2019 has already begun.

The Court determined that the investigation must systematically analyse the issue and examine whether the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ leadership at the time properly planned the operation.