On May 20, and the court fined several activists GEL 500 (approximately USD 180) in connection with protests against the Foreign Agents Law for allegedly blocking a road during protests against the law. This is the maximum fine for the offense, according to Article 174 Prima of the Administrative Code. Those fined include Saba Shkhvitaridze, Anri Gorgiladze of the opposition Droa party, activist Lazare Ordenidze, and Boris Chele Kurua of the opposition Girchi – More Freedom party.
Throughout the recent days, according to multiple testimonies and media reports, more than 50 protesters received official summonses to be interrogated by the Criminal Police over the wave of protests that swept the country after this controversial bill, now already adopted in 3rd hearing, was reintroduced in the beginning of April.
A significant portion of the hearings has been postponed.
Boris Chele Kurua, one of those fined on May 20, accused the ruling Georgian Dream party of using the administrative charges to suppress politicians and active citizens. “The Ministry of Internal Affairs is actively working to spy on people who participate in rallies and actively express their positions, but is not working to identify and arrest those who attacked us…,” he said.
Activist Lazare Ordenidze said that the only evidence the Interior Ministry has is the video showing the rally participants crossing the road:
“I personally don’t appear in the footage at all… The government is trying to fine us and scare us so that we don’t go to the rallies anymore,” he commented.
More to follow…
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