Interior Ministry launches investigation into right wing organisation’s threats against Tbilisi Pride Week
Organisers of the Pride Week announced yesterday the Conservative Movement political party, which is affiliated with the Georgian right-wing media outlet Alt-Info, had “openly declared” it would attack the Pride Week and “repeat the events” of July 5 last year, when right-wing activists assaulted and injured over 50 journalists who had gathered to cover the eventually cancelled Tbilisi Pride march in Tbilisi. Photo:
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Georgian Interior Ministry has launched an investigation into threats issued by the right-wing organisation Alt-Info ahead of the planned Tbilisi Pride Week, organised by the LGBTQ+ community and set to start in the capital on Tuesday, Interpressnews reported on Monday.
IPN said members of the organisation had been summoned by police earlier today for interviews related to their comments. The development follows the Ministry’s announcement on Monday that it would ensure the safety and freedom of expression and assembly of “each individual” during the events of the Week.
Organisers of the Pride Week announced yesterday the Conservative Movement political party, which is affiliated with the Georgian right-wing media outlet Alt-Info, had “openly declared” it would attack the Pride Week and “repeat the events” of July 5 last year, when right-wing activists assaulted and injured over 50 journalists who had gathered to cover the eventually cancelled Tbilisi Pride march in Tbilisi.
In its earlier statement, the Ministry also pointed out “certain groups” planned to disrupt Tbilisi Pride Week events and called on the groups to “abide by the law”, noting otherwise “each case” of violation would be prevented and a “strict legal response” would follow.
Set to run between June 28-July 2, this year’s Tbilisi Pride Week will be held without events in public space, as organisers decided against holding a march to “avoid polarising the society” with the backdrop of the country’s ongoing European Union integration process. All events of the Week will be held indoors in this year’s edition.
Media Advocacy Coalition, a Georgian-based non-governmental organisation, released a statement earlier today and called on the Ministry to “avoid the mistakes” made last year and take effective measures to ensure the safety of activists, protect media from unlawful interference with their work and ensure “timely and appropriate legal response” to “all calls to violence and attempts to incite hatred”.
Law enforcement will “prevent acts of violence” during the planned Tbilisi Pride Week, Georgia’s Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhveidze said on Wednesday after right-wing organisers from Alt-Info media outlet called for a “disruption” of announced events for marking LGBTQ rights starting later this month.
The Georgian Government’s responsibility to safeguard the rights to peaceful assembly of LGBTQI+ persons, prevent discrimination and violence and ensure commemoration of IDAHOBIT, the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia “openly and publicly” were stressed by the diplomatic missions in Georgia on Monday.
A new survey under the United Nations Joint Programme for Gender Equality has revealed a decreasing tendency of negative attitudes toward the LGBTQI community in Georgia, while still pointing out a “significant challenge” in the protection of the rights of queer people.
A Palitranews cameraman who was attacked by right wing activists earlier today has undergone an operation at New Hospitals and is being taken to the med ward at this time. Head of the New Hospitals emergency service Mikheil Beriashvili said that the patient had a head injury and a broken nose.
The programme for this year’s Tbilisi Pride Week kicked off on Tuesday in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi with a screening of Wet Sand, an award-winning feature by director Elene Naveriani.
Police arrested 26 participants of a right-wing rally against the ongoing Tbilisi Pride Week in Tbilisi on Saturday for “disorderly conduct”.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry on Saturday issued a call for groups opposing the ongoing Tbilisi Pride Week events to abide by the law, and pledged to ensure public order, safety and freedom of expression and assembly of “each individual”.
Police arrested 17 participants of a right-wing rally against the ongoing Tbilisi Pride Week in the city on Saturday for non-compliance with law enforcement officers, with the development following arrests made earlier during the day.
The United Nations Development Programme issued a joint statement signed by diplomatic representations on Wednesday that welcomed the successful completion of the Tbilisi Pride Week and expressed hope the event would mark a “step forward” in ensuring LGBTQI+ community’s rights.