The law "on family values and the protection of minors" prohibits gatherings that promote a person's right to identify with a gender "other than his biological sex", and also prohibits gatherings that advocate same-sex orientation or relationships
President of the Parliament Georgia On October 3, Shalva Papuashvili signed a law that human rights groups, the opposition and the international community say drastically limits rights LGBT communities in that country.
Papuashvili, a member of the ruling Georgian Dream party and a co-sponsor of the bill, supported the bill after President Salome Zourabishvili refused to sign it on October 2 and sent it back to Parliament, in accordance with the provisions of the Georgian Constitution.
No opposition and no vote against
The law on the so-called "family values" passed through the Parliament on September 17 and was adopted with 84 votes "for" and no votes against because the opposition boycotted the session of the Parliament in front of which the citizens demonstrated.
Although constitutionally legal, Papaushvili's move highlights a dramatically polarized political spectrum, and the ruling Georgian Dream is at odds with both the president and the opposition, which has been boycotting Parliament for months ahead of the October 26 elections.
After Papuashivili's approval, the law will be published in the Official Gazette of Georgia and will enter into force 60 days after its publication.
Criticism of the opposition
The package of legal amendments, whose full name is "On family values and protection of minors", brings changes to 18 current laws, including laws on freedom of speech and expression and broadcasting.
The measures foresee a ban on gatherings that promote a person's right to identify with a gender "other than their biological sex", and also ban gatherings that advocate same-sex orientation or relationships.
While signing the law, Papuashvili criticized both the president of the country and the opposition, because they refused to support it and protect "what is most valuable for a person: family and children."
Papuashvili, whose party remains the most popular, according to opinion polls ahead of key elections on October 26, also preemptively dismissed expected Western criticism of his move.
"I understand very well that the signing of this law will cause criticism from some foreign partners, but we Georgians have never been afraid of someone else's judgment when our faith, common sense and loyalty to the country demanded it and when we saw that the currents of civilization were going in the wrong direction," he said. is Papuashvili.
"Foreign Influence" Law
The fact that Georgia is in a deep political crisis that has been going on for several years is also evidenced by the law on "foreign influence" that the Georgian Parliament adopted in mid-May.
Previously, that law had attracted criticism for months, and citizens demonstrated against it, because the law requires media, non-governmental organizations and other non-profit organizations to register as "those pursuing the interests of a foreign power" if they receive more than 20 percent of their funds from abroad. .
A similar law exists in Russia, and the opposition has branded and condemned it as a "Russian law", as Moscow uses a similar law to crack down on independent media, non-profit organizations and activists critical of the Kremlin.
During the heated debate on the contested law, MPs from the ruling party and the opposition clashed and exchanged blows.
Extreme right-wingers killed a cameraman
When it comes to the status of the LGBT community in Georgia, even before the law that was adopted on October 3, that community was exposed to great pressure.
Thus, at the anti-LGBT demonstration in July 2021, members of the extreme right beat television cameraman Aleksander Lashkarava, who died a few days later as a result of the beating.
Because of this, the organizers canceled the "March for Dignity", which was supposed to be held a few days later, because the authorities did not guarantee the safety of the participants.
Opponents of the march then blocked the main boulevard in Tbilisi, condemned the journalists covering the protest as LGBT "propagandists" and threw bottles at them.
Source: Radio Free Europe
At least 26 tourists were killed in Kashmir in the north of India after they were shot by extremists. Those familiar with the situation say that the attack could be a provocation aimed at the Indian government
Maja Odrčić Mikulić, head of Međimurje, said that she wants to be a bridge between Croats and Roma. "It is a subjective feeling, many of my Roma people who stand behind me say that I have always been theirs and that my soul is Roma," she explained.
For conservative church currents, Pope Francis was excessively, almost unforgivably, open and liberal. Liberals, again, considered him too conservative, unwilling to bring real reform
With the mediation of France, Germany and the USA, peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine continue in London
Israeli Foreign Ministry officials said Pope Francis had made "statements against Israel" and that the social media message was posted "by mistake."
RTS is blocked, universities do not work, and threats, insults and calls to the prosecutor's office and the police to arrest blockers, rioters and terrorists are pouring out from the top of the government. The Serbian state has turned into a farce
Anyone who condemns the regime's targeting of people from the media, the non-governmental sector, the opposition and universities, must not agree to this targeting of RTS editors and journalists either.
The government of Đur Mazut is "counter-revolutionary", focused on retaliation and state and street violence against opponents of the regime
Vučić and Šešelj: Where I stopped, you continue
The return of radical violence subscribeThe archive of the weekly Vreme includes all our digital editions, since the very beginning of our work. All issues can be downloaded in PDF format, by purchasing the digital edition, or you can read all available texts from the selected issue.
See all
