Tuesday, February 17, 2026

Parliament questioning whether anti hate crime petition is real

defend your signature
Facebook users are reacting to human rights committee head Eka Beselia hinting that their online signatures are fraudulent.

TBILISI, DFWatch–The head of the Georgian parliament’s human rights committee has come under fire on social networks, after she instructed her committee to investigate whether 12 000 signatures in a petition are real or fake.

The petition is addressed to

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Parliament in Georgia considers how to react to May 17 violence

police line and crowd ii 2013-05-17
Almost thirty people were injured on May 17, 2013, as Orthodox Christian activists broke up a small gay rights demonstration. (Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The human rights committee in parliament is preparing a resolution about the May 17 events, when thousands of Orthodox Christians disrupted a protest by a few tens of LGBT activists.

The resolution was a response to an appeal addressed to the speaker

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200 locals gathered to prevent Friday prayers

Samtatskharo
200 locals in Samtatskharo gathered outside the prayer house, determined to prevent Friday prayers. (Georgian Public Broadcaster.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Friday prayers were disrupted by locals yesterday in a village in eastern Georgia.

About 200 locals had gathered in the village Samtatskharo in the Kakheti region in order to prevent Muslims from praying in a house that has been purchased for this

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Thousands came for open air music festival in Tbilisi

The Subways - in Tbilisi 2013-06-05
English indie rock band The Subways performing in Tbilisi Wednesday. (DFWatch photo.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi Open Air 2013 brought thousands of people to Dinamo Arena on Wednesday.

The one-day festival started an hour late, which resulted in the Berlin-group Modeselektor having to leave without playing in order to catch the plane.

Georgian band Kid Jesus

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Deep Purple arrives in Tbilisi to play festival gig at Dinamo Arena

Deep Purple in Tbilisi 2013-06-04
Fans greeted Deep Purple as the band arrived at Tbilisi international airport. (DF Watch photo.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgians are getting ready for the next Tbilisi Open Air musical event, which this time will include world famous stars like Deep Purple, Tricky, Infected Mushrooms and Modeselektor.

Tbilisi Open Air Festival, which has been held every year since

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Decriminalize marijuana rally in Tbilisi

marijuana
Organizers say it is not right to punish marijuana use tougher than rape. (DFWatch.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–More than a thousand people gathered in front of the old parliament building in Tbilisi on Sunday to demand the decriminalization of marijuana.

Under current legislation it is illegal to use or sell marijuana and other soft drugs.

Organizers of the rally

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1600 workers in Zestaponi now on strike

Zestaponi Ferro strike
The workers at the Ferro plant in Zestaponi demand group contracts, a pay rise, and generally better conditions. (gtuc.ge.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–The week-old strike at Zestaponi’s ferro-alloy plant continues, as there is still no progress in the attempts to negotiate with management.

Meanwhile representatives of the Georgian Trade Unions claim that parliament is about to adopt amendments

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Again the sides meet in Georgia's most touchy debate

law is supreme
These protesters want to ban ‘gay propaganda’. (DFWatch photo.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Two small counter-rallies were held at the Prosecutor’s Office on Saturday in Tbilisi.

The organizers of one rally, ‘The law is supreme’, were the same as those who organized ‘No to Theocracy‘ on Friday.

Meanwhile members of the National Front

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