The News in Brief
Tuesday, August 1, 2023
Prepared by Messenger Staff
Protests Lead to Early Departure of 'Astoria Grande' Cruise Ship from Batumi Port
On the morning of July 31st, the cruise ship 'Astoria Grande' once again arrived in Batumi port, bringing Russian tourists to Georgia. However, the ship's arrival was met with active demonstrations and vocal protests from the citizens who demanded the removal of Batumi from the cruise ship's destination list.
Throughout the protests, law enforcement officers were present, and the port area was fortified with iron barricades. The situation escalated to a physical altercation, resulting in the arrest of 23 individuals by the police. As a result of the intense protests, the cruise ship departed from the port of Batumi ahead of its scheduled departure time.
It is noteworthy that a few days prior to this incident, the same cruise liner had already left Batumi port amidst the ongoing protest. Furthermore, there were reports suggesting that the 'Astoria Grande' website had removed Batumi port from its list of cruise ship destinations during this period of unrest.
Allegations of Police Assault During Batumi Protest: Public Defender Refers Incident to Investigation Service
As per the information from the public defender, there are allegations of physical assault against one of the detainees during the protest rally in Batumi.
The statement released by the Public Defender mentions that they have referred the incident to the Special Investigation Service.
During a meeting with three citizens who were arrested at the protest, one of them, identified as R. M., reported experiencing verbal and physical abuse by police officers. The Office of the Public Defender immediately informed the Special Investigation Service about the alleged mistreatment of R. M. and expects a prompt and effective response.
The Public Defender of Georgia will continue investigating the alleged rights violations of those arrested at the rally and will keep the public informed about the situation, according to the statement.
Protests Lead to Early Departure of 'Astoria Grande' Cruise Ship from Batumi Port
Throughout the protests, law enforcement officers were present, and the port area was fortified with iron barricades. The situation escalated to a physical altercation, resulting in the arrest of 23 individuals by the police. As a result of the intense protests, the cruise ship departed from the port of Batumi ahead of its scheduled departure time.
It is noteworthy that a few days prior to this incident, the same cruise liner had already left Batumi port amidst the ongoing protest. Furthermore, there were reports suggesting that the 'Astoria Grande' website had removed Batumi port from its list of cruise ship destinations during this period of unrest.
Allegations of Police Assault During Batumi Protest: Public Defender Refers Incident to Investigation Service
The statement released by the Public Defender mentions that they have referred the incident to the Special Investigation Service.
During a meeting with three citizens who were arrested at the protest, one of them, identified as R. M., reported experiencing verbal and physical abuse by police officers. The Office of the Public Defender immediately informed the Special Investigation Service about the alleged mistreatment of R. M. and expects a prompt and effective response.
The Public Defender of Georgia will continue investigating the alleged rights violations of those arrested at the rally and will keep the public informed about the situation, according to the statement.