Police detain two protesters in Rioni Gorge
Police detain two protesters in Rioni Gorge

Police detained two people in the Rioni Gorge where locals protest the construction of Namakhvani HPP.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), the detainees are charged for petty hooliganism under the administrative rule.

Police mobilized in the gorge in connection with the resumption of preparation works for the HPP construction. Movement is restricted in the gorge.

Locals and the so-called Rioni Gorge Guards have been protesting against HPP construction for more than 5 months.

The non-governmental sector sees the agreement between the Georgian government and the Turkish company ENKA Renewables Ltd as favourable for the investor and believes construction poses several risks.
The Georgian government and ENKA Renewables Ltd signed a perpetual build-own-operate agreement back in 2019. ENKA has been awarded the rights to develop, construct, own and operate the Namakhvani HPP Cascade Project in Georgia.