The attacks on the informational meetings of the organizers and supporters of the July 3 rally are clearly coordinated and contain signs of a crime under the Criminal Code of Georgia.

A peaceful rally is planned on July 3rd, 2022, the aim of which is to promote the granting of EU candidate status to Georgia. There have been several reports of violence and obstruction against rally organizers and supporters/representatives of opposition parties over the past two days, in particular:

-  June 30, 2022: "Home to Europe" campaign was opposed in Batumi, see the link;

-  June 30, 2022: Gigi Gigiadze was attacked during the "Home to Europe" campaign in Samtredia, see the link;

-  June 30, 2022: the campaign "Home to Europe" was obstructed in Telavi, see the link;

-  June 30, 2022:act of violence at the Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University, in the vicinity of the so called Maglivi building, see the link;

-  June 30, 2022: Members of the "Home to Europe" campaign were the target of organized confrontation in Khoni and a meeting with the community was prevented, see the link;

-  June 29, 2022: Members of the "Home to Europe" campaign: Giorgi Janelidze and Gigi Gigiadze were prevented from communicating with the public through an organized attack in Kutaisi, see the link;

-  June 29, 2022: Attack on Badri Japaridze in Kvareli, see the link;

-  June 29, 2022: Attack on the representatives of the National Movement in Guria, see the link;

Representatives of the ruling party, including public officials, were reportedly involved in a number of incidents of obstruction. On the whole it appears that the described facts of violence and obstruction are not accidental, but are of an organized nature.

The mentioned actions contain signs of crimes under Articles 153 and 161 of the Criminal Code, which include illegal interference with the exercise of the freedom of speech and/or of the right to obtain or disseminate information and violation of the right to hold or participate in an assembly or demonstration.

We call on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to ensure the peaceful conduct of the public campaigns of the organizers and supporters of the July 3 rally. The Ministry should take preventive and follow-up measures provided by law in order to prevent the aggravation of the background of the July 3 rally and the encouragement of violence.

We call on the Special Investigation Service to immediately launch an investigation of the crime under Article 153 of the Criminal Code.