Prosecutor's Office Charges MIA Employee

The Prosecutor's Office of Georgia has officially charged the employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) who was detained yesterday on charges of abuse of power during the dispersal of the June 20-21 rally in front of the Parliament of Georgia.

L.I., employee of the MIA, has been charged under Article 333 § 3 (b) of the Criminal Code of Georgia, for abusing his official authority during the June 20-21 demonstrations, resulting in a violation of the legal right of a person and the legitimate interests of the State.

The Prosecutor’s Office has applied to the court with a motion demanding imprisonment as a preventive measure against the detained law enforcer.

As the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia said yesterday, according to the evidence revealed by the investigation, the MIA employee abused his power on the morning of June 21 on Rustaveli Avenue and physically assaulted a person detained for committing an administrative offense.

The riot police used rubber bullets and tear gas against the participants of the anti-occupation demonstration on the night of June 20, after some of the protestors tried to forcefully enter the Parliament building. Two nonviolent young demonstrators lost an eye to rubber bullets during the protests while a total of 240 people, including 80 police officers, were hospitalized. 

Related Story: Law Enforcer Detained for Abuse of Power at June 20-21 Rally

By Ana Dumbadze