Aleksandre Darakhvelidze, the deputy Interior Minister of Georgia, on Wednesday said 63 individuals were arrested and six law enforcement officers sustained injuries during a mass rally in Tbilisi the previous day protesting the controversial foreign transparency bill, resubmitted by the ruling Georgian Dream party in March.
The detained individuals are currently under investigation for administrative violations, petty hooliganism, and disobedience to police orders, he said in a press briefing.
However, Darakhvelidze did not address the injuries sustained by civilians during the rally, which witnessed clashes between protesters and law enforcement. Notably, politicians Aleko Elisashvili and Levan Khabeishvili were reportedly subjected to physical assault. Regarding Khabeishvili, who breached police lines, Darakhvelidze stated that he was promptly taken to a medical facility for investigative procedures.
Darakhvelidze emphasized that the rally deviated from peaceful intentions, with protesters resorting to violence, including physical and verbal attacks on police officers and the hurling of objects such as stones and bottles.
The deputy minister claimed that despite police efforts to ensure the safety of Members of Parliament and provide space for peaceful protest, some rally participants persisted in aggressive behavior, attempting to breach police lines.
The protest coincided with the continuation of parliamentary discussions on the bill which has been met with sustained opposition for over ten days due to concerns about its potential impact on Georgia’s European integration efforts, as voiced by the country’s international partners.