Protests in Georgia last 16 days with more than 400 detained.
Georgia’s parliament on Friday unanimously approved a law banning people from covering their faces with masks and using pyrotechnics and lasers at protests. In case of violation, they will be fined 2000 lari (approximately 677 euros). With reference to the Georgian Interpress agency, Reuters wrote about it, from which TASR drew.
By adopting the law, the deputies responded to the clashes between the police and civilians, which occurred during protests against the government’s decision to suspend accession talks with the European Union. More than 400 people have been detained since the outbreak of the demonstrations, which continued on Friday for the 16th day in a row.
The decision caused outrage and protests from many people
The decision, according to Reuters, has angered many people in Georgia. More than 100 Georgian diplomats signed an open letter in protest and several ambassadors resigned from their posts.
Many protesters wear gas or improvised masks over their faces in an attempt to avoid identification by the authorities and also to protect themselves from tear gas. Some demonstrators threw pyrotechnics at the security forces, while others tried to blind police officers and security cameras in front of the parliament building with lasers.
Dozens of people, including police officers, were injured in these incidents. Approximately 30 people have been accused of criminal offenses and two leaders of the pro-European opposition are already in custody – the chairman of the largest opposition party Coalition for Change Nika Gvaramio and Alek Elisašvili from the Strong Georgia party.
The ambassador of the European Union in Georgia, Pawel Herczyňski, called the police’s treatment of the demonstrators unacceptable and warned of possible sanctions from Brussels. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobachidze, on the other hand, defends the police’s reaction. The Ministry of the Interior also claims that up to 150 members of the security forces were injured.
Human rights groups express concern over attacks on opposition politicians, activists and journalists by gangs of masked men. They claim that such interventions are unprecedented in Georgia.
Parliamentary elections were held in this Caucasian country at the end of October. According to the official results, the ruling Georgian Dream party, which the West accuses of being pro-Russian, won with 54 percent of the vote. In second place came the pro-Western Coalition for Change with 11 percent. The opposition did not recognize this election result and called the vote rigged. The same opinion is held by President Salome Zurabišviliová, who also appealed to the Constitutional Court in this matter. However, he rejected her application.
