According to a new report by Human Rights Watch, which assesses the state of human rights in 2021, Georgia has experienced a setback in a number of human rights areas, including LGBTQI+, amid the polarization of the Georgian Dream and opposition parties.
“During the homophobic violence against the Pride March on July 5, hate groups verbally and physically assaulted at least 53 members of the media. Police were often present but were unable to prevent violent incidents. – states the HRW report which also covers the period after the death of the operator Lekso Lashkarava – “After [Aleksandre Lashkarava’s] death, on the next day, based on the “interim examination report” the probable cause of death of Lashkarava was named to be drug overdose. At the time of writing, the final conclusion of the examination had not yet been published.”
A separate section of the report, which discusses sexual orientation and gender identity and describes the violent, illegal actions of July 5, states that instead of protecting the freedom of LGBTQI+ people and their supporters, the government blamed the organizers and participants of the Pride.
“Instead of protecting security and freedom of assembly, the government blamed the organizers and participants of the pride. Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili has declared it “inappropriate” to hold a demonstration in a public place that could provoke a “civil confrontation.” The Ministry of Internal Affairs also warned the organizers not to hold such a march in a public place. According to numerous media reports, small groups of police officers were on the scene but they were unable to prevent the incidents effectively. Following this wave of violence, the Interior Ministry launched an investigation and arrested at least 27 people involved in organized violence. The ombudsman criticized the government for not punishing any of the organizers of the violence,” the statement said.
The report also discusses the first case of legal recognition of transgender people, although it states that transgender people can only be legally recognized through gender reassignment surgery, which “poses serious barriers to transgender people in their daily lives, marginalizing them and putting them at risk of unemployment and poverty.”
The Human Rights Watch report also states that “improper liability for crimes committed by law enforcement remains an unresolved issue. Other issues of concern included police brutality in freedom of assembly, attacks on journalists and the growing threat of media pluralism, the institutionalization of children, violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and unsafe working conditions.
Photo: Guram Muradov / Civil.ge
