The Public Defender of Georgia echoes the protests scheduled for November 24 in Tbilisi and clarifies several issues related to the management of rallies.

• The right to peaceful assembly and demonstration is a fundamental human right, protected by the Constitution of Georgia and a number of international documents.
• Law enforcement agencies, when exercising their powers, should not exceed the limits of legislation, should not use force against peaceful participants in the assembly, and should not prevent participants in the rally from exercising their rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
• In any case provided for by legislation, protest participants should be given a reasonable period of time to comply with the lawful requests of the police, when there is such a necessity.
• The use of any kind of force or special equipment by law enforcement officers must meet the strict test of necessity and proportionality, and the use of any special equipment must be preceded by a warning.
• It is important not to interfere with the activities of journalists and to ensure their safety during assemblies.

At the same time, the Public Defender calls on the organizers and participants in the rally not to go beyond the limits of a peaceful assembly.

Public Defender's representatives will supervise the rallies within the scope of their authority and, if necessary, will respond appropriately.