The Public Defender starts studying the confrontation that took place in the village of Mereti

28 06 2012

The Office of the Public Defender of Georgia has started studying the alleged fact of violation of the rights of political action participants on the part of public officials that took place during the confrontation on June 26, 2012, in the village of Mereti. The aforementioned was caused by dissemination of video materials by news outlets yesterday. According to the materials, the persons who took part in the incident are public servants. Among them are employees of the Gori self-government body and the Shida Kartli Service of Emergency Management.

On June 27, 2012, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia disseminated information that the persons who took part in the incident had been detained and brought to the Court of Administrative Offences and that four of them had been sentenced to ten days of administrative imprisonment. According to the information, the aforementioned officials were not among the detainees.

We consider that participation of public officials in such confrontations, at the minimum, constitutes inappropriate behavior for a public official. While studying the case, we will identify the alleged violation committed by them. We will send the materials to the respective bodies in the nearest days, demanding appropriate response, about which the public will receive additional information.