MIA Apologized to Citizens for the Discomfort Created during Raids

Interpresnews

On August 26, chairman of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) Kakha Kozhoridze called on the Ministry of Internal Affairs to clarify the reason of conducted raids in Tbilisi streets during previous days. 

Kakha Kozhoridze told Interpresnews that Law on Police lists concrete cases, when police can conduct a raid.

“The Law on Police states that in emergency or military situations, for the detention of perpetrators and law-offenders, raids can be conducted in settled areas and streets. It is directly written that police can conduct raid. Perpetrator is a person who commits a crime punishable by the Criminal Code of Georgia; law-offender is a person, who has committed administrative offence. In this case, police can conduct raids,” Kozhoridze said.

He added that Law on Police clarifies that police has reasonable doubt to conduct raids.

“The law states that police shall have reasonable doubt in concrete situation to starts raid or halt a person. The law does not clarify the term – reasonable doubt though the Constitutional Court of Georgia clarified it. It can be set of circumstances that will convince the unbiased observer in the reasonability of the doubt; or there might be some circumstances that police knows the person committed crime or will commit it,” the chairman of GYLA clarified.

He added that it is not known whether police had any reasonable doubt in this particular case.

“Police did not clarify anything and it will be very interesting because it did not happen once and many people complain about being searched. It will be nice of police will clarify the motive of the raid in this concrete case, what reasonable doubt they had. It will be good if the MIA will make relevant clarifications,” Kakha Kozhoridze said.

On August 26, MIA spread statement about preventive measures taken in the capital.

“Ministry of Internal Affairs would like to thank population of Tbilisi for cooperation and herewith, would like to apologize for the inconvenience that has been caused due to the preventive measures held by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Ministry of Internal Affairs would also like to inform citizens that as a result of preventive measures, which lasted for several days, dozens of illegal firearms and cold steel, have been seized. Ministry would like to call on everyone to abstain from making statements which are aimed to discredit police. Police is highly motivated to ensure public security in round-the-clock regime, act in accordance with the law and conduct preventive measures,” the statement reads.