TBILISI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 27th July, 2019) Former Georgian Defense Minister Irakli Okruashvili, the leader of the Victorious Georgia party, was charged with the organization of the riots in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on June 20-21, Okruashvili's lawyer Mamuka Chabashvili said Saturday.
The former minister was arrested on July 25.
"The charges imply that some individuals, among those who gathered for the protests, used violence, and Irakli Okruashvili, who was allegedly with them, called for storming the parliament and violence," the lawyer said.
The lawyer noted that on the video shared by the Interior Ministry it was clearly seen that Okruashvili had made no calls for violence. He added that he would invite a dozen witnesses who could prove that the former minister was not guilty.
Protests in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi erupted on June 20 over a Russian delegation's participation in a session of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy. Demonstrators tried to storm the parliament building, demanding the resignation of the parliament speaker and other officials. The rally was dispersed by special forces with tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannons. As a result, 240 people were injured and more than 300 were detained.
In late June, opposition lawmaker Nika Melia was also charged with organizing riots in Tbilisi and stripped of his parliamentary immunity. The politician was released on bail. Now he has to wear an electronic bracelet and is not permitted to leave the house without notifying police.
