Statement on the arbitrary arrest of Georgian lawyer Eduard Marikashvili
Georgia
Georgian lawyer and human rights defender Eduard Marikashvili has been arrested during a demonstration in front of the parliament building in Tblisi, Georgia. He was arrested for hooliganism and disobedience of legal order of the police under articles 166 and 173 of the Administrative Offences Code of Georgia. His hearing before the Tblisi Citi Court takes place on 23 June 2023.
Mr. Marikashvili is a lawyer and human rights defender specialized in criminal law and juvenile justice. He has been working with the Georgian NGO “Georgian Democracy Initiative” (GDI) as part of the legal team since 2014, and is currently the chair of the organisation since 2021.
On 2 June, Mr. Marikashvili learnt that the police was illegally arresting demonstration participants near the parliament building. As Mr. Marikashvili found that the constitutional rights of the activists present at the protest were being violated, he joined the demonstration to support colleagues and activists being arrested.
Mr. Marikashvili was then charged with hooliganism and disobedience of legal order of the police under articles 166 and 173 of the Administrative Offences Code of Georgia. His case is being heard by Tbilisi City Court on June 23, 2023.
L4L therefore calls on the Georgian authorities to:
- Immediately cease persecution and drop all charges against human rights defender and lawyer Mr. Marikashvili as he is being targeted as a result of his peaceful and legitimate human rights work.
- Guarantee that all lawyers in Georgia are able to carry out their legitimate professional activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment arbitrary arrest, deprivation of liberty or other arbitrary sanctions.
- Guarantee that all human rights lawyers and human rights defenders are provided with their freedom of expression of political and other opinions in accordance with Georgia’s international obligations to respect and fulfil human rights laws and standards.
- Cease the practice of disproportionate and illegal use of administrative detention of lawyers exercising their freedom of expression.
Find the full statement here.