For what happened on the night of June 20, the political responsibility is entirely mine. Such a statement the former Minister of Internal Affairs/Prime Minister, Giorgi Gakharia, made at the session of the Parliament`s Interim Fact-Finding Commission.

"Regarding the attempt to suggest that I blamed something on police officers – not a single policeman violated the law. Every police officer had the right to use rubber bullets in self-defence according to the Law on Police. This is the most important thing.

I was not blaming policemen for anything. I have always defended them. That is precisely why I have said that the political responsibility for this event is entirely mine.

I did indeed give the command to disperse the aggressive protest that escalated to a storming. I have always acknowledged this. Yes, I issued that order. Police officers who deployed rubber bullets were fully justified in doing so under the Law on Police. No laws were violated. It’s essential to recognize 2 distinct aspects here: the use of rubber bullets for self-defence and their use in the context of dispersing a protest", - said Giorgi Gakharia.