The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Centre (EMC) is publishing its first legal assessment of the attacks on civil activists, journalists and opposition supporters in Marneuli on September 29^th and calls upon the state to ensure an independent, timely and effective investigation of such crimes. At the same time, EMC requires that political parties adhere to the principles of peace and democracy and prevent the creation of social conflicts in the regions.

As is well known, a confrontation between the members of the Georgian Dream and the National Movement commenced in Marneuli on the afternoon of September 29^th. In particular, members of the National Movement held a rally in front of the Marneuli District Election Commission and protested against the appointment of Amiran Giorgadze as the chairperson of the election commission. According to the members of the United National Movement, they were physically and verbally abused during the rally by members of the Georgian Dream. After the rally, Giorgi Kveladze, a member of the District Election Commission, was physically assaulted and his car was damaged. In addition, civil activist Giorgi Mumladze was physically assaulted. Mumladze reports that he was hit directly in the face by the chairman of the district commission, Amiran Giorgadze, who did not allow him to call an ambulance afterwards.

Following the rally, the confrontation moved to the Georgian Dream headquarters in Marneuli, where local Georgian Dream activists allegedly verbally assaulted the cameraman of the Georgian Public Broadcasting Service, the cameraman and journalists of the TV channel Mtavari, damaged their equipment and prevented them from carrying out their professional activities. In particular, according to an employee of the Public Broadcasting Service, the cameraman was punched in the face and his camera was broken. According to Bacho Turashvili, a journalist of the Mtavari Channel, he and two cameramen together with their local correspondent, Jeyhun Muhammad Ali, arrived at the building of the headquarters to interview the Georgian Dream members during the confrontation in the afternoon. At this time, about 50 people approached them, verbally abusing them and forcing them to leave the area. According to the journalist, he and the cameramen were dragged and pushed to the side by a group of about 20 people, who tried to take the camera away; they hit one of the cameramen in the face with the microphone, while the other group also forcibly dragged Jeyhun Muhammad Ali to the other side and physically assaulted him. Jeyhun Muhammad Ali himself notes that he was physically assaulted by about six people (two of whom he can identify), they kicked him and supposedly injured him in the head with a blunt object, which required his immediate hospitalization. According to Jeyhun and other journalists, even though they repeatedly called the ambulance to provide medical assistance to Muhammad Ali, the emergency crew only arrived some 40 minutes later. It is also important to note that journalists and civil activists indicate that police officers were present at the scene throughout all the stages of the physical confrontation, although they did not take any action and limited their duties to transferring the alleged victims to the police station and questioning them.

As far as is known, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has already launched an investigation into the incidents and at this stage the investigation is underway under Articles 154 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (unlawful interference with a journalist's professional activities) and 116 (group violence). As part of the investigation, journalists and cameramen were interviewed and video footage of the confrontation was submitted.

The factual circumstances make it clear that the incidents of physical violence against J. Muhammad Ali, G. Kveladze and G. Mumladze should also have been acknowledged by the police officers, who were mobilized on the spot, and yet refrained from taking an action. It is clear that such a practice undermines public confidence in the police and poses a risk of politicizing the police force. The main function of the police is to ensure public safety and law and order, to protect individuals or legal entities from unlawful encroachment, to prevent crime and ensure its prevention. In cases of apparent neglect of these obligations, it is important to assess the issue of possible criminal or disciplinary liability of the police officers involved.

We find it even more unacceptable that violence has been committed by party activists against civil activists and journalists, since such cases can have a devastating and damaging effect on freedom of expression and democratic processes.

EMC reckons that the violent incidents that took place in the city of Marneuli and before that in Bolnisi Municipality once again demonstrate the problem of a deep polarization and antagonism in our political system. By completely neglecting political responsibility, parties transfer controversy, conflict and anxiety to the micro-social area and do not register the social consequences of such conflicts, which lead to fear, mistrust, frustration and isolation. The legitimatization and normalization of violence by the parties is a rejection of the basic principles and ethics of democratic politics and even contradicts the very notion of ​​politics.

In Marneuli municipality, as well as in neighbouring municipalities, local group interests and clans have run politics for years, and their arbitrariness and irresponsibility have been somehow become normalized. Cases of violence in recent days may also be explained in the light of this historical practice of policy-making. Under these conditions, it is clear that the voices and interests of the local population are not properly represented in politics. Living in the informational periphery, basic social problems unresolved over the years, lack of participatory practices and traditions at the central and local levels creates in the local population a significant distrust towards political processes and institutions. It is clear that introducing and admitting violence into the political agenda on such a scale will further deepen this distrust and fear.

In view of the above, EMC requires

The General Prosecutor's Office of Georgia

• TO ensure the investigation and appropriate assessment of the inaction of the police officers who were present during the conflict;
• To carry out effective supervision over the ongoing investigation in the Marneuli Police Department in connection with the incidents in Marneuli;

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia

• Within the framework of the investigation, all necessary investigative actions should be carried out in a timely manner, including the retrieval and preservation of video footage;
• Ensure that the attackers involved in the incident are identified and held criminally liable.
• Take appropriate preventive measures in order to prevent similar incidents in the future;

Political parties

• Prevent the use of violent groups and practices in the pre-election process and comprehend the grave social consequences of such experiences;
• Properly understand the principles of democratic, pluralistic, community-oriented policy and guide the pre-election processes within the context of these principles and ideals.

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