31 July 2019, 08:14
Opposition states false testimonies in case of storming Georgian parliament
Law enforcers have confessed that under pressure they gave false testimonies against the rally participants, the "United National Movement" (UNM) Party has announced.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that from July 6 to July 26, 19 activists were accused of using violence during protests, which were qualified by the prosecutor's office as an attempt to overthrow the power.
Protests in Tbilisi began on June 20 after the Russian MP, Sergey Gavrilov, took the chair of the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament at a sitting of the Parliamentary Orthodox Assembly. This triggered protests of oppositional MOs, strengthened by their supporters. After dispersal of one of the protests, the Ministry of Public Health announced hospitalization of 240 persons. Meanwhile, protests continued; and their participants managed to achieve resignation of the Speaker of the Parliament and the holding the 2020 elections under the proportional system; they still insist on resignation of Giorgi Gakhariya, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA).
A number of law enforcers have told the oppositional UNM Party that they are under pressure to give evidence against certain June 20 protesters, said Khatiya Dekanoidze, one of the UNM leaders, at today's briefing. "These people were forced to come to the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) and give false testimonies against the people depicted in the photos shown to them. They were forced to give false testimonies that these people were involved in using violence against policemen," Ms Dekanoidze has stated, urging law enforcers not to give false testimonies.
Khatiya Dekanoidze has stated that the authorities, by using such methods, are engaged in political repressions and "punish people for expressing their civil position," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports from the briefing of the UNM.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 30, 2019 at 06:34 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Inna Kukudzhanova Source: CK correspondent
