21 July 2009, 23:00
In Georgia, two oppositionists are sentenced to 13-day custody
The Tbilisi City Court has ruled to punish Meloru Vachnadze and Henri Bibileishvili, activists of the youth movement named "Join!" and participants of the action at the entrance to the building of Parliament, with a 13-day imprisonment.
Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" reported that oppositionist Zakhariya Kutsnashvili, representative of the organization "Law for People", acting on behalf of the initiative group, on July 6 announced a list of Georgian political prisoners and addressed the US Administration and leaders of other countries with a request to influence the Georgian government to have all the political prisoners released by the arrival to Georgia of US Vice-President Jo Biden.
Meloru Vachnadze and Henri Bibileishvili were detained, together with eight other activists, by the police at the building of Parliament one hour before President Mikhail Saakashvili's arrival there. Earlier, it was reported that thirteen oppositionists were detained.
Two persons who were detained by mistake were released, as the "Gazeta.Ru" writes.
As reported by the "GHN", on July 20, members of the youth movement "Join!" held a protest action at all entrances to the Georgian Parliament demanding from the President to cancel a number of bills.
The picketers demanded to suspend the law already adopted by the Parliament on the procedure of mass actions, to release all political prisoners, detained since 2007, and to punish high-ranking officials of the police.
Three groups of protesters gathered near three entrances to the supreme legislature of Georgia; however, the action was stopped by power agents.
