Deputy Interior Minister: prosecutors investigating who authorized use of crowd control means on June 20

Georgia’s Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze on Friday said the question of who authorized the use of specific crowd-control means during the 20 June 2019 dispersal in Tbilisi was the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Prosecutor General’s Office.

Darakhvelidze stressed that the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), in its Grand Chamber ruling, reaffirmed that police had both the right and the obligation to use proportionate force in situations involving mass unrest, which was sparked by the presence of Russian MPs in the state legislature.

“The European Court of Human Rights noted that when there is mass disorder, violence, or an attack on state institutions, the police not only have the right but also the obligation to act with the principle of proportionate force necessary to eliminate the threat. This clarification is explicitly stated,” Darakhvelidze said.

He added that the ruling provides concrete guidance on issues related to the use - and potential misuse - of special means, and authorities will review those findings in detail.

 “As for who made the decision to use particular types of special means, this is currently being investigated by the Prosecutor General’s Office,” he said.

The statement comes after the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) won the June 20 case before the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights, in which the Court found multiple violations of the European Convention on Human Rights.