Amnesty International: Georgian Authorities Should Protect Pride

Amnesty International has released a statement regarding Tbilisi Pride, calling on Georgian authorities to ensure the safety of Pride participants.

The statement outlines the recent events surrounding Tbilisi Pride such as the violent counter-demonstration planned by Levan Vasadze and his intention to attack participants during the peaceful Tbilisi Pride march.

“Georgian authorities must take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Tbilisi Pride participants amidst unprecedented threats of violence,” reads the statement.

Amnesty International also reports that Tbilisi Pride organizers have received death threats.

“International human rights standards guarantee without discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity the right to assemble peacefully in public,” the statement continues. “Georgian officials have a positive obligation to take all necessary measure to protect the Tbilisi Pride march from attacks.

LGBTI people face discrimination and violence in Georgia which is often not investigated properly by Georgian authorities, according to the report.

Amnesty International will send a monitoring team to observe the Tbilisi Pride march.

By Amy Jones

Photo source - Wikipedia