They demand the resignation of the prime minister of Georgia after the murder of a camera hit by homophobic activists
More than 10.000 protesters gathered yesterday in front of the Parliament of Georgia to demand the resignation of the Georgian Prime Minister, Irakli Garibashvili, for the death of a television cameraman beaten on July 5 by a mob of homophobic activists. «Let the murderer Garibashvili resign and be punished«, Reads a banner, which marks in red, alluding to blood, the word«murderer«.
The television channel operator piveli, Alexander (Lexo) Lashkarava, 36, was found dead this Sunday in his apartment, a few days after he was discharged after being attacked while reporting on the frustrated March of Dignity in defense of the rights of the LGBT community in Tbilisi. "They beat him, broke his head, kicked him in in the name of God and with the help of the police, and after that he died. We all know what killed him. He was killed by the violent and the inaction of the police«, Denounced Nika Oboladze representative of the opposition party United National Movement (MNU).
How to Live Aligned with Alexander lashkarava, more than 50 journalists were targets of violence by organized homophobic groups. He was accredited by the television network pirveli to follow the march as a camera operator. When I was reporting from the central avenue Rustaveli, a group of people surrounded him and beat him violently. lashkarava and four more colleagues had to be admitted to the hospital for the attacks they received. In his case, with bruises on his head and wounds on his eyes.
Friday, three days after discharge from hospital, Alexander lashkarava died at home in his sleep. The family denounces that the death is related to the beatings received during the homophobic assault.
Tension against the homosexual community
Days before, the Georgian conservative parties and the Church had criticized the organization of the Pride march in Tbilisi. And the Georgian Prime Minister, Irakli Garibashvili, had contributed to tense spirits by saying that the Pride march it could provoke a public confrontation. All this created a climate of tension that pushed homophobic groups to go out on Monday to hunt activists LGTBIQ +.
The organizers of the Pride march they finally decided to cancel it. But that did not prevent violent groups from attacking journalists and activists on the streets of Georgia's capital due to police passivity. The death of lashkarava has outraged human rights defenders in Georgia, who blame the country's authorities for encouraging homophobic groups with hateful messages against the homosexual community. The president of the country has visited the journalist's family and assured that it is a tragedy.
From abroad and within the country, the government of Georgia a more specific condemnation of violence and hate speech. Hundreds of protesters gathered this Sunday before Parliament. They ask for the resignation of the Prime Minister and the Minister of the Interior for failing to stop homophobic groups and for failing to protect journalists and activists.
Reporters Without Borders they have also condemned the attack on Georgian journalists. The NGO accuses the authorities of Georgia of passivity before the aggressors and says that the police failed to fulfill their duty to protect the population. In Europe, the rise of homophobic movements in the country and the lack of force with which the Georgian security forces contain their movements is viewed with concern.
