People employed in public institutions were threatened with dismissal, and they were also forced to like the posts published by Georgian Dream politicians, specifically Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze, on social networks, – reads the special report of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association.
The report reads that the state uses various repressive methods against the opponents of the Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence, including, allegedly, restricting their ability to use municipal healthcare programs.
“The persons employed in the public institution were threatened with dismissal from their jobs, and they were also forced to like the posts published by the Georgian Dream politicians, specifically, the mayor of Tbilisi, Kakha Kaladze, on social networks. On April 23, the actors from the stage of the Batumi State Drama Theater, who ended the play with the phrase – “Russia is the occupier. Our way is to Europe. No to Russian law!” – received a severe written reprimand from the theater administration.
According to the information provided to the organization from various sources, threatening calls were also made to representatives of regional non-governmental organizations, opposition political parties, civil society and regional media organizations, as well as to members of their families, including minor children. In addition, it is alarming that the state uses various repressive methods against opponents of the “Russian Law”, including, allegedly, restricting their ability to use municipal healthcare programs. One of the regional offices of GYLA was approached by a citizen who filed an application at the municipality’s town hall in April of this year and, due to health problems, asked for one-time assistance to finance medical examinations. As the citizen explains, they immediately promised to help him with 500 GEL, but he has not received a written answer about the decision, even though it has been more than a month. According to him, before that, his acquaintances, who are employed in the local self-government, asked him not to share posts against the “Russian law”. He presumes that the local government distributes state resources selectively, only to its supporters,” reads the report.
