Introduction

The ongoing protest against Namakhvani HPP is unprecedented in its duration, publicity, and the high degree of self-organization of the local community. For more than 200 days, the residents have been protesting peacefully against the construction of the HPP, through various means. Unfortunately, the main response of the state to this protest is the exercise of police measures, and for months, the government has largely shown nothing but neglect of the local population.

The use of police forces by the government to control social or political issues has become commonplace. The government frequently employs the special police procedures provided by the Law on Police for mass control during rallies and demonstrations, raising the risk of arbitrary and disproportionate interference with citizens' rights. The basic justifications for using police force usually refer to abstract threats, raising the possibility of arbitrary interference with citizens' rights. And, in the case of gross interference with the exercise of basic human rights in the name of maintaining public safety, the prevention of a hypothetical unlawful action is prioritized over freedom of assembly and expression.

The protest started by the locals in Rioni gorge is directed at the Namakhvani hydropower cascade project. The protest organizers point to a nontransparent procedure with little public participation, as well as contract clauses that ignore the public interest. In response to the criticism, the government refuses to engage in dialogue and attempts to ensure the continuation of the HPP construction process through force. The state unjustifiably and arbitrarily interferes with the Rioni Gorge Defenders' right to peaceful assembly by its harsh and repressive policies, particularly through the police force. The risk of further aggravating the process and possibilities of radicalization is increased by such blatant and unjustifiable interference with the Rioni Valley Defenders' fundamental rights through intensive police measures.

The paper examines the justification and proportionality of the police measures used by the state since the beginning of April.

Share