President of Georgia: Tbilisi Pride participants have a right to freedom of expression

President of Georgia backs the rights of Tbilisi Pride participants

Everyone has a right to freedom of expression within the law, President of Georgia Salome Zurabishvili has stated in regards to Tbilisi Pride Week and the March of Dignity scheduled for July 5.

According to the president, all forms of violence, threats, pressure and hatred are unacceptable for her, as the guarantor of the Constitution.

“This is unacceptable, because this is a violation of the constitutional rights of people, and this is unacceptable for me as a guarantor and defender of the Constitution. I believe that everyone has the right to enjoy the freedom of expression. Our inherent tolerance is a part of our identity. Our country is built on this and will continue to develop based on this.

Therefore, I also believe that everyone has the right to express themselves and the participants in the Tbilisi Pride have the right to express their opinion and exercise the right, which is the constitutional right of everyone, in accordance with the norms established by the Constitution and the law. This is important for our country and our unity”, Zurabishvili said.

The Public Defender of Georgia made a statement today, in which she called on the competent authorities and officials to protect the safety of Tbilisi Pride participants as well as their right to freedom of speech and assembly.

According to Nino Lomjaria, high-ranking officials contribute to the politicization of the issue and try to present the restriction of the rights of the LGBT community as a guarantee of the protection of its members.

“Any peaceful protest or act of solidarity related to the protection of human rights, regardless of its content, is protected by the Constitution of Georgia, and the responsibility for protecting it lies with the government”, the ombudsman said in a statement.

• Chairman of ruling Georgian Dream party: holding Tbilisi Pride week is unreasonable

• ‘You never know, whether you’ll return home alive or not’
• Living surrounded by hate. LGBT individuals and their parents in Georgia

On July 1, Pride Week will begin in Tbilisi with a screening of documentaries and a rock music festival. The culmination of the week will be the March of Dignity on July 5 when LGBT activists and their supporters will gather in the center of Tbilisi, on Rustaveli Avenue, and hold a march.

Tbilisi Pride’s plans have already irritated right-wing extremists. Levan Vasadze, a businessman and founder of the ultra-conservative Eri movement, one of the leading figures in the country’s homophobic and anti-LGBT movement, issued an ultimatum to the government. On June 15, he gave the ruling Georgian Dream party 10 days to cancel the march and pass a law prohibiting “propaganda of debauchery”.

The authorities did not fulfill Vasadze’s demands, but representatives of the ruling party believe that the Tbilisi Pride should not be held, since “various forces will use this opportunity to launch provocations and destabilize the situation in the country”.

The statement was also issued by the Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox Church. The church appeals to the MEPs and ambassadors accredited in Georgia with a request to refrain from supporting and encouraging the Tbilisi Pride, as this will lead to “discrediting Western values” in Georgia.

The Patriarchate also calls on the Georgian authorities to prevent the holding of the Pride Week.