The Public Defender calls on the Ministry of Internal Affairs [MIA] to ensure the freedom of peaceful assembly of protest participants and not to hinder journalists from carrying out their activities.

“Ombudsman’s representatives are currently on their way to visit the detained citizens in the morning hours of November 19, 2024. Including those citizens who, according to the office, were physically injured and have been transferred to clinics.

The Public Defender notes that at the time [08:18/19.11.2024] when the MIA started arresting the participants of the rally on Melikishvili Avenue, the rally was peaceful and met the standards of freedom of assembly. At that time, there may have been improper treatment of citizens by the police or cases of excessive force. According to reports, among those arrested is cameraman Sergi Baramidze, who, as is known, was engaged in professional activities at the time of his arrest. The public defender emphatically notes that it is not allowed to interfere with a journalist’s professional activities.

The Public Defender calls on the MIA to ensure freedom of peaceful assembly of protestors, not to prevent journalists from carrying out their activities, and to strictly observe the criteria of necessity and proportionality when using detention measures and special means. Besides, Ombudsman calls on the Special Investigation Service [SIS] to investigate each case with signs of a possible crime against journalists/demonstrators and to inform the public.

In addition, we inform the public that on November 16, 2024, the Office of the Public Defender also visited 3 citizens arrested in front of the CEC building. One of the detained citizens indicated that he was a victim of improper treatment by the police, and all three of them indicated unethical treatment and verbal abuse.

The Office of the Public Defender implemented the appropriate legal response in all three cases and referred to the SIS and the General Inspection of the MIA.

The Ombudsman’s Office reminds the public that there is a hotline - 1481, which works 24 hours a day, and citizens can contact us at any time regarding each fact of violation of rights”, - reads the statement.