The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, denounced the use “disproportionate and sometimes unnecessary” of force by the Georgian police in the current anti-government protests against the decision to freeze accession negotiations with the European Union until 2028.
In a statement, Türk called on the Georgian authorities to respect and protect the rights of protesters to express themselves and gather peacefully, after the violent dispersion of the protests caused dozens of injuries among the participants and also among the journalists who covered them.
”All Georgians, whatever their ideology, should be able to express their views on the future of the country freely and peacefully,” stressed the United Nations human rights chief.
In the statement, the high commissioner’s office He reported that the police have used water cannons and chemical irritants against the protests, and that some protesters were chased and beaten by unidentified people.
”All use of force by security personnel must be exceptional and comply with the principles of legality, necessity, proportionality, precaution and non-discrimination,” he added.
Türk also urged protesters to exercise their right to protest in a manner peacefulafter it was reported that some of them threw stones, fireworks and bottles at security personnel, causing injuries to more than a hundred of them according to figures from the Georgian Ministry of the Interior.
The high commissioner’s office also asked the Georgian authorities to introduce measures so that members of their security forces can be identified in case of abusesfor example with labels showing their names or serial numbers sewn onto their uniforms.
The protests in the capital Tbilisi and in other cities of the Caucasian nation such as Batumi, Gori, Poti and Kutaísi have been going on for five days, and more than 200 people have been arrested.
Türk warned that among those detained it is suspected that there would be minors, and asked that the rights of those arrested to due process, the presumption of innocence, access to legal assistance and the medical care they may need be respected.
He also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of those who have been detained for the mere fact of having exercised their rights to free expression or peaceful assembly.
”The reports about violence are profoundly worrying and I condemn it unequivocally. I urge the Government to do everything it can to promote peace and stability. I think this is in the interest of all Georgians,” declared NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte about the situation in the country, which is not part of NATO, although at a summit of allied leaders held in 2008. in Bucharest he was promised that in the future he would be admitted to the Atlantic Alliance.
The Dutch politician spoke in this regard at a press conference prior to the meeting of foreign ministers of the Alliance that will be held between today and Wednesday in Brussels.
He stressed that NATO is an alliance “based on democracy, values, respect for freedom and democracy as a concept, but also as a daily reality.”
”I firmly believe that these values are the basis for our collective peace and prosperity,” he noted. He indicated that at this moment he sees that allies are urging the Georgian government to remain on the path towards Euro-Atlantic integration.
(with information from EFE)
