Four policemen have been fired for violating the Interior Ministry’s disciplinary code during dispersal of the street protest rally on May 26, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) said on July 15.

One employee of the Interior Ministry was downgraded from his post; three employees received “stern reprimands” and eight others have been “reprimanded”, the Interior Ministry said.

It also said that internal investigation on “violations of disciplinary code of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia by police while preventing illegal actions of demonstrators on May 26” was carried out in response to an appeal by the Chief Prosecutor’s Office during which the ministry’s internal investigations unit “has carefully studied” available photo and video materials as well as statements made on the issue by the Public Defender, human rights groups and media organizations.

The Interior Ministry said that it had informed Georgian Public Defender, Giorgi Tugushi, about the results of internal probe.

The Public Defender said in a written statement also on July 15, that the Interior Ministry’s reaction involving disciplinary punishment of several of its employees “is important, but not enough.”

The Public Defender said “it is necessary” to continue the probe into cases of “mistreatment and beating” of protesters after they had already been arrested.

“Part of the cases of violation of rights contains elements of crime and consequently they require adequate reaction from the law enforcement agencies,” the Public Defender said in the statement.

He also said that disciplinary punishment of policemen for wrongdoings “is a step forward”, because it could serve for others as “a preventive measure” from committing the same wrongdoings in the future.

The Georgian Chief Prosecutor’s Office said that investigation into “alleged case” of beating of a protester after detention by the police.