Polish MFA’s Deputy Secretary of State arrives in Azerbaijan (PHOTO) Trend News Agency
Month: June 2024
“Foreign counterparts would say it to me straight up…The first Trump election—maybe people didn’t understand who he was, or it was an accident. A second election of Trump? We’ll never trust you again.” https://t.co/s6OBXkBarT
— John Sipher (@john_sipher) June 4, 2024
Estonian deputies on sanctions for Georgian Dream
A statement from 44 Estonian deputies urges the Estonian government to impose sanctions on the Georgian government and the leader of the ruling party “Georgian Dream,” Bidzina Ivanishvili. It also calls for blocking Georgia’s accession process to the European Union until the “foreign agents” law is repealed.
US State Department on visa restrictions for those involved in adopting the “foreign agents” law in Georgia
In the explanatory note accompanying the statement, it is reminded that the European Union, the Venice Commission, and civil society in Georgia consider the “foreign agents” law incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as it violates the principles of the rule of law, legality, proportionality, and non-discrimination.
Estonian deputies call on the Parliament and Government of Georgia to immediately repeal this law and put an end to violence against demonstrators, civil society, and political opposition, as well as to conduct an investigation into those responsible for this violence.
In the draft statement, deputies emphasize the need for government sanctions, including banning Bidzina Ivanishvili, members of the Georgian government, and the leadership of the “Georgian Dream” from entering Estonia.
Estonian deputies also call on Parliament to impose sanctions on law enforcement officials responsible for violence against participants in protest actions in Georgia.
“We pay tribute to the brave Georgian people who support Georgia’s democratic and pro-European future,” the statement says.
Anti-LGBT bill in Georgia
Today, June 4, the parliamentary majority in Georgia initiated the “On Family Values and Protection of Minors” bill, which restricts LGBT rights. The bill was introduced by Speaker Shalva Papuashvili.
The bill consists of 19 laws and includes restrictions on freedom of assembly and media censorship. According to Papuashvili, May 17, the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, will be declared “Family Sanctity and Respect for Parents Day” in Georgia.
Additionally, the bill mandates the removal of intimate LGBT scenes from TV shows, movies broadcasted on television, and cinema screenings, which Papuashvili describes as “common practice.”
The bill also includes the following provisions:
- Ban on the registration of alternative marriages: Only unions between a man and a woman will be recognized.
- Adoption restrictions: Individuals identifying with a gender different from their biological sex or who are not heterosexual, including single individuals, will be prohibited from adopting minors.
- Ban on gender-affirming medical procedures: Surgical operations or any medical procedures aimed at changing one’s gender will be prohibited.
- Gender designation in official documents: State-issued documents will only reflect biological sex.
- LGBT propaganda ban in educational institutions: It will be prohibited to promote LGBT issues or disseminate information supporting identification with a gender different from one’s biological sex, same-sex relationships, or incest.
- Media restrictions: Broadcasting information promoting identification with a gender different from biological sex, same-sex relationships, or incest will be prohibited for TV companies.
- Ban on public assemblies and demonstrations: Public gatherings or demonstrations advocating for identification with a gender different from one’s biological sex, same-sex relationships, or incest will be banned.
- Employment discrimination: The prohibition on discrimination based on these factors in employment relationships will effectively be lifted.
Timeline for the adoption of the bill
The bill is expected to be adopted in the third reading during the autumn session of Parliament. To amend the constitution, the ruling “Georgian Dream” party needs a constitutional majority, which it currently lacks. According to Shalva Papuashvili, the party has decided to proceed with the bill for now and aim for constitutional changes after the parliamentary elections in October 2024, should they secure a constitutional majority.
Anti-LGBT bill in Georgia