The Tbilisi city court on Monday pronounce its verdict against person who were part of anti-foreign agent law protests of last year. The protesters held massive allies against controversial foreign agents’ law in capital Tbilisi and many other cities across country.
On last year in month of May many countries wide protests erupted against foreign agent’s law. The foreign agents law requires non-government organisations, civil society organisation to register under this law if they receive more than 20 percent of their funding from foreign countries. Moreover, these organisation will be registered as organisation pursuing interest of foreign nations.
As per the ruling party “Georgian Dream”,law has been introduced to bring transparency in funding of NGOs and civil society organisations. However, protesters on other hand blamed government for stifling independent media voice through implementation of this controversial law.
As per latest verdict of Tbilisi city court Pridon Bubteishvili have to undergo a five year jail term, whereas Omar Okribelashvili and Saba Meparishvili have been awarded ten month imprisonment.
As per court order Omar Okribelashvili and Saba Meparishvili are responsible for causing damage to iron barrier erected on entrance to building of Parliament. Initially a jail term of three years was imposed against them which was later reduced to ten months.
This reduction of sentence was result of plea bargaining and amnesty. On the other hand, in a separate decision Tbilisi court has found Pridon Bubuteishvili a 20 year old guilty and sentenced him to undergo five year jail term.
He was also found to be guilty of damaging iron gate of parliament and stone pelting at employees of firefighting and emergency department. It is also worth to note that Bubuteishvili also have allegation against him under two articles.
The first one was the article 187 part of Georgian Criminal Code. This article covers offence of damage to private property belonging to another citizens. Similarly another article which was imposed against him was the article 353. This article deals with assault on a police officer, government official, or public institution.
Notably foreign agent law was implemented even after veto of President. Moreover, to deal with protesters government has also introduced amendment to criminal law and enacted strict provisions to deal with incident of damage to public property.
