The Armenian Community of Georgia says the Ministry of Internal Affairs did not allow a traditional commemoration marking the Armenian Genocide to be held near the Turkish Embassy in Tbilisi.
In a statement, the community says it “expresses deep concern and principled disagreement” with what it describes as a decision by the Georgian authorities to deny permission for the annual April 24 event at its usual location.
The statement says that, in the response received from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, there is a possibility of violation of certain requirements.
The community members say the commemoration has been held peacefully every year near the Turkish Embassy and argue that the restriction contradicts “fundamental values of a democratic society,” including freedom of assembly and expression.
“We believe that such a restriction contradicts the fundamental values of a democratic society… each community has the opportunity to peacefully and with dignity express its historical memory,” the statement says.
The community also condemns the decision, saying it has the right to hold the event in a “peaceful, organized and dignified environment.”
April 24 is marked as the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Armenian Genocide, with this year marking the 111th anniversary.
Previously, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia approved an April 6 request by the Armenian Community of Georgia and allowed a torchlight procession from the area near Isani metro station to the courtyard of the Surb Echmiadzin Church in Avlabari. The procession was held on April 23.
On December 10, 2025, the Parliament of Georgia urgently adopted in the third reading a bill making it mandatory to notify the police five days in advance of any rally held in a “public or transport area.” The law obliges organizers to submit written applications to the Patrol Police under the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The Public Defender has previously stated that the new rules should not be enforced in a way that effectively turns them into a permit system for demonstrations.
The Armenian Genocide refers to the mass killings and deportations of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire beginning in 1915, widely recognized by many historians and genocide scholars as a historical fact. Turkey rejects the term genocide.
