Civil society and community organisations are responding to the attack on MP Tariel Nakaidze and believe that this attack is directed not only against an individual politician but aims to discredit the human rights work in general and harm the human rights condition of minorities in Georgia.

For the past few days, we have seen that the Parliamentary majority representatives are openly attacking the independent MP Tariel Nakaidze, who chaired the Georgian Muslims Union between 2008-2020 and is still very active in defending religious minority rights.

On March 22, Sozar Subar, a member of People’s Power and one of the initiators of Russian Law, addressed Tariel Nakaidze in the plenary hall of the Parliament the following way: “I have known you for 20 years and I know you are an agent”. Subar’s associate and another initiator of Russian Law, Viktor Japaridze, attacked the MP and hit him with a microphone in the back. This was followed by a public statement by Irakli Kobakhidze, the chairmen of Georgian Dream, saying that Tariel Nakaidze has a “grave reputation”.

Unlike the MPs supporting the Russian Law, Tariel Nakaidze often uses the Parliament tribune for defending human rights and discussing the challenges of religious and ethnic minorities, women and LGBTQI persons. Minority rights protection is part of those European values that are strongly protected in the EU and are an organic part of our traditions.

The hate speech and politics of hatred promoted by government representatives, besides being against democratic values and the spirit of human rights, irreversibly deepen political polarisation and harms pluralism and diversity.

Undersigned civil and community organisations express solidarity with Tariel Nakaidze and call the Parliamentary majority members to stop their physical and verbal attacks on human rights defenders.

Signatories:

• Social Justice Center
• Solidarity Platform
• Pankisi Community Organization
• Salam
• Multifarious and Equal Georgia
• Solidarity Museum
• Solidarity Community
• Iormughanlo Community Center
• Youth for Democratic Changes
• Civic Engagement and Activism Center (CEAC)
• Tbilisi Pride
• Safari
• Georgian Court Watch
• Open Society Georgia Foundation
• Women's Initiatives Supporting Group
• Queer Association – Temida
• Equality Movement
• Rights Georgia
• Women Engage for a common Future (WECF) - Georgia
• Transparency International – Georgia
• Green Alternative
• Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA)
• Georgian Democracy Initiative (GDI)
• UNA Georgia

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