Day: April 18, 2026
Tbilisi march for children with Duchenne dystrophy
The traditional Saturday pro-European protest march in Tbilisi on April 18 was dedicated to supporting children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Thousands of participants joined the families’ demand for the government to allocate funds from the state budget to purchase specific and very expensive medications.
It was already the 507th day of protests, which have been continuing uninterrupted for more than a year and a half. After participants marched through central Tbilisi with banners and flags, hundreds more supporters, as usual, were waiting near the parliament.
Parents of sick children who spoke at the rally said they cannot cope on their own and that only the state can provide the necessary treatment for their children.
Around 100 children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy are registered in Georgia.
April 18. The 507th day of continuous pro-European protests
For more than a year – since November 2024 — continuous protests have been taking place in Georgia, with demonstrators demanding that the country return to the path of European integration. Every evening thousands, and often tens of thousands, gather in Tbilisi and several other cities. Over this time dozens of participants have been detained, many have faced criminal charges, and some have been sentenced to prison terms.
For the first time in the history of independent Georgia, the country has up to 150 prisoners of conscience, including women. Among them is Mzia Amaglobeli, founder of the popular outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti. In 2025 she was sentenced to two years in prison for slapping a police officer.
Protesters demand the release of all political prisoners, new parliamentary elections – as they do not recognize the results of the 2024 vote – and the repeal of all anti-democratic laws adopted over the past two years.
To suppress the protests, the ruling Georgian Dream party has increasingly tightened repression against civil society and the media. However, protests in various forms continue.
News in Georgia