The Georgian Young Lawyers Association reminds the authorities of Georgia, that today 7 years have passed since Giga Ochtozoria was killed on May 19, 2016, near the occupation line of Abkhazia, at the Khurcha Nabakevi checkpoint. The full responsibility for this fact rests with the Russian Federation and it will be discussed before the European Court within the framework of an individual and interstate dispute.
Against the backdrop of the daily creeping occupation by the Russian Federation and the forces effectively controlled by it, the illegal arrests and kidnapping of Georgian citizens, the granting of permission by the Georgian authorities for flights between Tbilisi and Moscow is even more appalling and insulting, as it represents an action incompatible with the foreign policy clearly defined by the Constitution. The strategic partners of the state also made similar assessments about this. In addition, it should be noted that the International Criminal Court has already issued an arrest warrant for the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, he is accused of war crimes, and the Russian government is internationally recognized as a terrorist regime, and the state as a sponsor of terrorism.
In connection with all of the above, it is worrying that today, May 19, 2023, the Russian airline "Azimut" plane made its first direct flight in the Moscow-Tbilisi direction at Shota Rustaveli Tbilisi International Airport. The Moscow-Tbilisi flight was met by citizens of Georgia with fierce protests. A large number of law enforcement officers were mobilized for the peaceful demonstration. According to information reported in public sources, 6 people were arrested at the rally in an administrative manner.
It is clear that the law enforcement authorities, instead of acting within the law, an approach based on trust and peaceful dialogue between the people and the state institutions, in today's protest, again resorted to the practice of administrative detention, which is a tool of the state to narrow the space for freedom of expression and assembly indiscriminately for anyone who expresses a critical opinion. .
Since the gathering/manifestation is still planned in the publicsources on the mentioned issue, and the information is spreading that a special task force has been deployed to the internal perimeter of the legislative body, we clearly call on the Ministry of Internal Affairs:
- to protect the principles of respect for civil liberties during demonstrations, to ensure the full realization of the right to peaceful demonstration;
- Refrain from using excessive force and illegal administrative detentions against peaceful demonstrators, protect their rights and promote respect for civil liberties.
