Victim of rally dispersal, triggered by Russian MPs in Tbilisi, appeals to court

Mako Gomuri, a victim of the rally dispersal that occurred in Tbilisi in June 2019 due to the presence of Russian MPs at a religion-connected conference in the Georgian Parliament, has filed an appeal with the Constitutional Court. She seeks the annulment of provisions that authorize the use of rubber bullets without adequate state guarantees.

Gomuri, who lost an eye during the events on the night of June 19-20, presented her case to the court in October. The lawsuit, titled “Maia Gomuri against the Parliament of Georgia and the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia,” was officially detailed on Wednesday.

Gomuri argued that Georgian legislation lacks assurances to ensure the use of rubber bullets only as a last resort to prevent a violent act, when no other less harmful means are available for preventing such acts.

The Georgian Young Lawyers Association, an organization dedicated to safeguarding the interests of the victim, emphasized the absence of provisions in Georgian law ensuring that rubber bullets are deployed only when absolutely necessary to prevent a violent incident.

The months-long rallies were sparked in Tbilisi after Sergey Gavrilov, a Russian MP, took the seat of the Georgian Parliament Speaker during the event, amid his country’s ongoing occupation of Georgian territories.