The ombudsman prepared a constitutional lawsuit related to the banning of the "Alt Info" party

The Georgia Public Defender makes a statement about the events of July 5, 2021, and writes that she has prepared a constitutional lawsuit to ban the "conservative movement."

The Ombudsman notes that many of their statements contain signs of undermining the constitutional order, inciting various kinds of disorder, propaganda of violence, or contain signs of violence and constitute propaganda for war.

The People's Advocate explains that the draft lawsuit has been sent to several instances authorized to appeal to the Constitutional Court. The ombudsman hopes they will bring the case to court.

"On July 5, 2021, pre-organized groups committed group violence against a large number of civilians in different places in Tbilisi.

Journalists and citizens suffered health injuries of varying degrees, representatives of the LGBTQ+ community and their supporters could not excersise the right to peaceful assembly and demonstration, journalists were hindered in their professional activities, citizens' property was also damaged and destroyed. More than a year after committing a serious crime, the organizers of the crime are not punished and participate in new illegal activities.

According to the legal assessment of the Public Defender, the public video materials depicting the organization and leadership of the violence of July 5, 2021, freely reach the standard of reasonable suspicion for the criminal prosecution to be launched, for example against Zurab Makharadze, on the charge of organizing group violence. However, even after a year has passed since the violent events of July 5, the Prosecutor's Office has not initiated criminal prosecution against any person for organizing group violence. The prosecution did not start either against Spiridon Tskifurishvili, who publicly called hundreds of people to violence.

At the moment, 53 people are recognized as victims of the July 5 group violence, and criminal prosecution has been initiated against 27 people. The Office of the Public Defender is currently studying several convictions of those involved in the violence. The Public Defender has repeatedly publicly requested full access to the case materials but to no avail.

We would like to remind the public that one of the prerequisites for Georgia's candidacy for EU membership by the European Commission is the protection of vulnerable groups and more effective justice for perpetrators and organizers of violence.

The organizing group of July 5 illegal actions and large-scale violence created a political party of citizens in 2021. Many of their previous and subsequent statements contain signs of overthrowing the constitutional order, stir up various types of strife, encourage violence or contain signs of violence themselves, and are propaganda for war. It is for this reason that we have prepared a constitutional lawsuit regarding the banning of the mentioned political party.

Since the Public Defender does not have the authority to apply to the Constitutional Court on this basis, we have submitted the draft of the lawsuit to several subjects authorized to apply to the Constitutional Court and we hope that they will initiate legal proceedings in the court", stated the Ombudsman.

As a reminder, the Pride March planned for Tbilisi Pride week on July 5, 2021, did not take place. After the Patriarchate's call, aggressive and homophobic groups gathered near the Kashveti Temple and later moved to the Parliament on Rustaveli, where they destroyed the opposition's tents.

Radical groups also stormed the Tbilisi Pride office and attempted to raid the Shamve movement office. The main target of the criminals was the media. More than 50 journalists were beaten. Lekso Lashkarava, a cameraman of TV Pirveli, who was found dead in his own house by his mother on July 11, was brutally attacked in the Shame office.