Public Defender considers relocation of protesters justified, criticizes police for excessive force

“It is legitimate to relocate individuals protesting on the road and obstructing traffic,” stated Georgian Public Defender Levan Ioseliani.

The Ombudsman evaluated the police’s actions against the protesters from the previous night, asserting that “they used excessive force.”

“We issued a statement indicating that excessive force was applied against the protesters by the police. Our representatives began searching for individuals and headed to pre-detention cells once we became aware of the detentions. We have documented each case,” he explained.

Levan Ioseliani also condemned the obstruction of journalistic activities by protesters, emphasizing that violence against the media is intolerable.

“The media must be allowed to operate in a free environment. Any form of violence or interference with journalistic activities is unacceptable. I want to remind society that this is a crime under the Criminal Code,” he asserted.

A protest demanding new elections is currently underway on Melikishvili Avenue.

In the early morning, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) called on protesters and organizers at Tbilisi State University (TSU) to dismantle any makeshift structures within 15 minutes and relocate to a different area to express their dissent lawfully. Consequently, the police cleared the road and removed several protesters from the site.