"Alternative" activists refuse to admit guilt in insulting policemen

The activists of the NGO "Alternative", detained during a rally near the regional election commission (REC) in Batumi, refuse to plead guilty. After being released from the police, they have joined the endless protest action near the building of the Adjara Government.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in the evening on November 21, Adjara policemen detained several activists of the NGO "Alternative" in Batumi, who set up a "corridor of shame" near the REC, preventing the delivery of ballot boxes. The activists were detained for disobeying and insulting the police. A few hours later, all the detainees were released from the police station.

"Today (on November 22, – note of the "Caucasian Knot"), a trial was held, at which we declared our innocence, since we had violated no laws. The court decided to consider our case on November 24," Khatuna Beridze, the chair of the NGO "Alternative", told the "Caucasian Knot".

She has claimed that the REC had overstated the number of people who had come to the polls. "They used the stuffing of extra ballots in the absence of observers, and resorted to pressure on the voters." In her opinion, by such actions the authorities, represented by the "Georgian Dream" Party, decided to demonstrate that many people had voted for it in the first round.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 22, 2020 at 11:58 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.