The President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, vetoed the amendments to the Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations.
In the statement released by the Administration of the President, the amendments are evaluated as “anti-European.”
“The President of Georgia, before the start of the impeachment procedure in the Parliament, signed a decree on termination of Georgian citizenship for Otar Partskhaladze and vetoed the amendments to the law on Assemblies and Demonstrations as another anti-European law”, reads the statement.
The legislative initiative related to the restriction of placement of temporary constructions during assemblies and demonstrations was passed by the Parliament in the third reading.
The draft law prepared by the initiative of the majority of Georgian Dream was adopted by 74 votes against 22. The Parliament discussed and adopted the planned amendments to the Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations in all three readings during two plenary days.
For information, according to the draft, the participants of the assembly and demonstration will be prohibited from setting up temporary constructions if their arrangement: poses a threat to the participants of the assembly or demonstration or other persons; prevents the police from maintaining public order and protection of security; causes disruption of the normal functioning of an enterprise, institution or organization; is not related to the holding of an assembly or demonstration.
In addition, according to the draft law, “in order to avoid distortion of the appearance of the public space”, the participants of the assembly or demonstration are prohibited from setting up a temporary structure if the assembly or demonstration is not significantly hindered without its arrangement.
Violation of these new prohibitive norms will result in confiscation of the object and a fine of 500 GEL or confiscation of the object and administrative imprisonment for up to 15 days, and if the violator is an organizer – confiscation of the object and a fine of 5000 GEL or administrative imprisonment for a term of up to 15 days.
Related Story: Parliament supports amendments to the Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations in the first reading
