Former Defence Minister of Georgia Irakli Okruashvili has been sentenced to five years in prison for ‘participating in group violence’ at an anti-government rally last June. Several opposition groups have claimed the verdict against him and others endanger a deal with the ruling Georgian Dream party to reform the electoral system together.
On 20–21 June last year, protesters clashed with riot police throughout the night in Tbilisi as they attempted to occupy the parliament building. The ensuing violence left 217 people hospitalised, including 80 police officers.
The protest was sparked by Russian MP Sergey Gavrilov’s address from the seat of the speaker of the Georgian Parliament, something critics said was offensive given Russia’s role in the conflicts in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
At least 240 people were hospitalised following violent clashes between protesters and police on 20 June. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.
On Monday, Tbilisi City Court acquitted Okruashvili of leading the violence but found him guilty of participating in it.
Several opposition groups have labelled him and others arrested following the clashes political prisoners.
European Georgia, the United National Movement, the Labour Party, and other opposition groups who have tentatively united since last summer to push for electoral reforms, condemned the verdict.
They said that by persuing said Okruashvili’s prosecution, the ruling Georgian Dream Party had broken their promise.
Georgian Dream promises: one broken, another contested
In June 2019, Georgian Dream responded to anti-government demonstrations by agreeing to one of their demands — to hold the October 2020 parliamentary elections under a fully-proportional system.
In November, the street protests that had been continuing on a smaller scale were reignited with a new force after the party voted down their own electoral reforms bill.
Police repeatedly deployed riot police and water cannons to disperse protesters blockading parliament. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media
It took opposition groups and Georgian Dream almost four months of political deadlock and six rounds of negotiations brokered by Western diplomats to reach a deal on 8 March.
According to the March deal, Georgian Dream agreed to slash the number of single-member majoritarian constituencies from 43 to 30 in Georgia’s 150-member parliament.
This would mean increasing the number of MPs elected proportionally.
Two weeks after the deal was signed, Georgian Dream effectively suspended normal political life by declaring a state of emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the party repeatedly vowed to respect the deal despite the circumstances.
What is now in dispute is what the opposition said was a verbal promise as part of the deal to end politically motivated prosecutions and ‘free political prisoners’.
Opposition MPs and non-parliamentary groups referred to a passage in an 8 March joint statement saying that all parties agreed ‘on the necessity of addressing actions that could be perceived as inappropriate politicisation of Georgia’s judicial and electoral processes and of avoiding any such actions in the future’.
European Georgia MP Elene Khoshtaria contemned the court ruling on Monday, tweeting: ‘Opposition leader Irakli Okruashvili sentenced to 5 years on Gavrilov night charges, despite political agreement to release him and two other political prisoners.’
Polit prosecutions continue in Georgia. Opposition leader Irakli Okruashvili sentenced to 5 years on Gavrilov night charges, despite political agreement to release him and two other political prisoners. Covid19 is no excuse for disruption of democracy! @achkhikvadze
Others dubbed ‘political prisoners’ by opposition groups include European Georgia MP and former Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava, who was sentenced to 3 years in prison for embezzlement in February.
Another is Giorgi Rurua, a supporter of the anti-government protests who has been charged with illegal arms possession.
On 23 March, Besik Tamliani, a participant of 20 June’s anti-government protest, was released on bail — the last of 16 non-politicians arrested over the violence to be released from pre-trial detention.
Who is Irakli Okruashvili
After the 2003 Rose Revolution, Irakli Okruashvili occupied several top government positions until falling out with his former ally, then-President Mikheil Saakashvili, in late 2006.
In 2016, four years after Georgian Dream ousted Saakashvili’s United National Movement party from power and Okruashvili returned from his political asylum in France, the former government minister began to express increasing frustration with the new government.
After his unsuccessful bid to claim ownership of TV company Rustavi 2, Okruashvili formed his own political party, Victorious Georgia, on 11 June 2019, nine days before the anti-government rally in Tbilisi that turned violent.
He was arrested and charged for group violence a month after participating in 20 June street protest.
On 19 November, the state prosecution also charged Okruashvili with abuse of power for allegedly covering-up the 2004 killing by police of Buta Robakidze during his stint as Interior Minister.
Tbilisi City Court has ordered the Ministry of Internal Affairs to pay one of those injured during the 20–21 June 2019 Gavrilov’s night protests damages for life.
According to the Tbilisi-based rights group the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), who represented the unnamed victim, the court awarded them ₾30,000 ($12,000) in moral damages and ₾1,155 ($440) monthly for life, due to a reduction in their working capacity.
‘[The victim] tried to help a participant surrounded by tear g
Months before the local elections, disagreements over a proposed amnesty law are threatening to derail a deal brokered by the EU to bring an end to the political crisis in the country.
At present, most opposition MPs remain against the amnesty for actions during the June 2019 anti-government protests.
The amnesty is part of an EU-mediated agreement signed by the government and opposition parties on 19 April to end their 7-month boycott of parliament. While the deal was not signed by several
Georgian anti-government group Shame and several opposition parties have marked the anniversary of last year’s violent clashes with police with a demonstration outside parliament.
Organisers said the protest was directed against both the Kremlin’s policies toward Georgia as well as the ruling Georgian Dream party, who they dubbed ‘pro-Russian’.
Giorgi Margvelashvili, who was elected fourth President of Georgia as part of Georgian Dream before breaking with the party, was among the spea
In her annual report to parliament, Public Defender Nino Lomjaria states that police officers used ‘non-lethal weapons’ unlawfully on the night of 20 June last year. However, they did so without being ordered by then-Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia or his deputy ministers.
The Public Defender’s office, which has been overseeing the ongoing investigation by Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office into allegations of excessive force led since last July, has confirmed that orders were given by ex-
