NGOs, opposition parties call on parliament speaker to condemn violence against female MPs by ruling party members

Opposition deputies Ana Natsvlishvili and Tamar Kordzaia submitted the statement addressed to Parliament Speaker Kuchava for registration today. Photo: Netgazeti.ge.

Agenda.ge, 22 Jul 2021 - 18:33, Tbilisi,Georgia

A total of 36 NGOs and opposition parties have called on Georgian Parliament Speaker Kakha Kuchava to break the silence on violence against opposition female MPs by the ruling Georgian Dream party’s MPs during an incident which took place at the parliament session on July 18. 

Ruling party deputies Shalva Papuashvili and Irakli Zarkua used physical force against female opposition MPs Tina Bokuchava and Nona Mamulashvili, who were demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Garibashvili at the parliamentary session on July 18, where Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri’s hearing was scheduled regarding violent events of July 5. 

Statement signatories say Kuchava’s ‘silence and inaction’ encourages violence. 

The situation is aggravated by the fact that Shalva Papuashvili and Irakli Zarkua do not even realise the violent nature and essence of their actions,” says the statement. 

NGOs and opposition politicians called on Kakha Kuchava to use all available mechanisms and punish those MPs, who used violence against female deputies. 

We urge you [Kakha Kuchava] to use all available mechanisms for an adequate response so that the abusive MPs Shalva Papuashvili and Irakli Zarkua are held accountable for their abusive and violent actions against female MPs,” the statement noted. 

The authors of the statement wanted to hold a briefing and read the text inside the parliament building earlier today but they were not allowed to do so by the parliamentary security service ‘in order not to endanger the parliament’s operation,’ as Kuchava stated.

Opposition deputies Ana Natsvlishvili and Tamar Kordzaia submitted the statement addressed to Parliament Speaker Kuchava for registration today.