02 July 2019, 11:35
Georgian police condemned for using rubber bullets
Khatiya Dekanoidze, a member of the "United National Movement" (UNM) Party, demanded to examine the condition of David Grigoryan, an injured participant of the protest rally in Tbilisi, since he could get such a wound only when fired at point blank range. Law enforcers violated instructions when using rubber bullets, believes Ucha Nanuashvili, the former Ombudsman.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 21, law enforcers dispersed the protesters. The Georgian Ministry for Public Health reported that 240 people were hospitalized, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) reported about the detention of 305 protesters. As of July 1, six injured persons still stay in hospitals, two of them in resuscitation ward.
David Grigoryan, a 46-year-old Armenian citizen, was injured during the dispersal of the protest rally on June 20. A rubber bullet pierced his head, the "Rustavi-2" reports.
According to journalist Givi Peikrishvili, he was also injured to his back during the dispersal of the protest action, but was not registered among the victims.
On June 27, Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakhariya claimed responsibility for the police actions after the start of the protests. According to him, policemen did their duty, and he will hold his post as the Interior Minister until the investigation is completed.
"In the description of bullets, a manufacturer points to the fact that a bullet can cause a fatal injury when fired from a distance of less than 10 meters ... The police violated the law by using those bullets," stated Ucha Nanuashvili, the former Ombudsman of Georgia.
According to him, before using rubber bullets, the police were to use other means to disperse the protest action, in particular, water cannons.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on July 2, 2019 at 03:27 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Beslan Kmuzov, Galina Gotua Source: CK correspondents
