Georgian Public Defender urges protest organisers to prevent calls for violence

Levan Ioseliani, the Public Defender of Georgia, on Saturday issued a statement regarding the events that unfolded in the streets of Tbilisi over the past hours after radical opposition supporters had stormed the courtyard of the Georgian presidential palace.

In his remarks, Ioseliani emphasised the importance of upholding the standards of peaceful assembly, while also stressing that the responsibility lies with protest organisers to ensure participants are not incited to engage in unlawful violent actions.

He also underlined that police must act in strict compliance with the principles of necessity and proportionality, and that media representatives should be able to perform their professional duties without obstruction.

“The Public Defender of Georgia has repeatedly explained that peaceful assembly is protected under both international and national standards. Calls to overthrow or violently change the constitutional order of Georgia are unacceptable during the organisation or conduct of gatherings or demonstrations. It is therefore crucial that participants in assemblies express their protest within the limits protected by law. Organisers bear particular responsibility to conduct gatherings peacefully and to refrain from inciting participants to unlawful violent acts. Should force be used, the police must strictly adhere to the tests of necessity and proportionality.

In light of the ongoing gatherings in various parts of Tbilisi, it is also important that the right to peaceful assembly be ensured and that police force is not used against participants without justification.

At the same time, media representatives must be able to carry out their work without hindrance. The Public Defender reminds all that unlawful interference with the professional work of journalists is subject to criminal liability”, the statement reads.