On 18 November 2019 we visited the persons detained earlier that day and talked to them individually about the legality of their detention and alleged violations.

On November 19, representatives of the Public Defender's Office have been observing the trials throughout the day. It is important all the detainees and their lawyers to have sufficient time and opportunity to defend their position.

At this stage, according to the information available to us, some of the detainees were detained on November 18, during working hours. Consequently, the maximum term of their detention is 12 hours, according to the Georgian legislation. After this period expires, it is necessary to release them.

We would also like to emphasize the fact that only one judge is considering the cases of administrative detention, which naturally complicates the administration of swift justice. It is necessary to involve additional judges in the process in order to prevent violation of the detainees' procedural rights.

We urge Tbilisi City Court to comply with the requirements of the law and conduct trials timely and fairly.