The detained members of civil society organizations: Saba Brachveli, Eduard Marikashvili, Nika Romanadze, and others gradually left the isolation cells. On the night of June 2, the police arrested the participants of a peaceful gathering in the area adjoining the Parliament completely arbitrarily, unlawfully, and in a manifestly aggressive manner, for spreading a banner, including a blank sheet of paper.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs applied the maximum 48-hour detention period to them. According to human rights organizations, the Ministry of Internal Affairs uses the relevant provision of the law as a punishment mechanism in practice. During this period, civil society was mobilized in support of the detained individuals.
It is alarming that the Ministry of Internal Affairs again continues following the practice of unlawful arrest of participants of a peaceful act of protest, which is a gross interference with the freedom of expression and is in conflict with both the Constitution of Georgia and internationally recognized standards.
The tendency of arbitrary and illegal detention of participants of peaceful acts of protest aimed at harassing organizers and activists of these acts, weakening self-organization of citizens and intimidating the public, which is against freedom of speech and expression and in conflict with the principles of a just and democratic state.
