Tag Archives: National Drug Policy Platform

Following a wave of church-led protests, the ruling Georgian Dream-Democratic Georgia party has decided to backtrack on the draft bill envisaging legalization of medical marijuana cultivation and production for export purposes. Speaking to reporters on September 16, Parliament Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze said the GDDG would not take “a hasty” decision …

Responding to Civil.ge query, the Georgian Interior Ministry has confirmed that the government is considering licensing of cultivation and production of medical cannabis for export, stressing that “the sale of marijuana inside the country will remain a criminal offense.” The Ministry also said that it drafted legislative amendments that “puts …

The decision of the Constitutional Court of Georgia to outlaw administrative sanctions for non-prescribed use of marijuana, has earned the criticism of the Georgian Orthodox Church and has drawn mixed reactions from political parties. Zurab Japaridze of the New Political Center – Girchi, who filed the constitutional lawsuit, hailed the …

Two leading Georgian civil society organizations – the Georgian Young Lawyers Association and the Human Rights Monitoring Center – issued an assessment of May 12 police raids at Tbilisi’s top music clubs – Bassiani and Cafe Gallery – as well as the legality of dispersing the rally that followed the …

The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has launched an investigation into calls for violence by the Georgian National Unity, a Tbilisi-based group that positions itself as a “fascist” and “right wing national-socialist” organization. The police announcement follows the May 13 remarks of Giorgi Chelidze, the leader of the organization, voiced …

Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia and leaders of the White Noise movement agreed at their meeting earlier today to set up two working groups – one on the drug policy reform and another on scrutinizing the May 12 raid on Tbilisi’s top music clubs. Davit Subeliani, one of the leaders of …

The government’s drug policy should be “much more liberal,” and the police should be “dealing with drug traffickers” rather than users and petty dealers, President Giorgi Margvelashvili said today, just hours after two opposing rallies faced off in the center of Tbilisi. “In the last few days, we witnessed a …

Several hundred protesters, who rallied against police raids on Tbilisi’s top music clubs, have cleared the Rustaveli avenue after nearly six hour-long standoff with a group of hardline nationalists and conservatives. The rally, convened in front of the Parliament building at 3 pm yesterday, proceeded peacefully in the initial hours, …

The Georgian Orthodox Patriarchate has issued a statement on Tbilisi protests. “Our compatriots have been appalled by recent developments in Tbilisi. Although countering drug trade is essential for us, the government and the entire population, questions have been raised on the police operation in certain segments of the society (although, …

Below is a statement of the Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Kvirikashvili, issued at 9 pm Tbilisi time. “I would like to comment on the developments in Tbilisi over the last two days. Yesterday and from today morning we have been having active discussions in the team on what has …

Tense standoff on Rustaveli avenue, as hard-line nationalists and conservatives rally against the crowd that has gathered in front of the old Parliament building to protest police raids on Tbilisi’s top music clubs. The counter-rally participants reportedly chant violent slogans against what they see as “drug use promotion” and “anti-Georgian” …

The drug trade suspects arrested in a double operation in Tbilisi’s Bassiani and Café Gallery clubs were apprehended by the authorities outside club premises and well before the police operation, Public Defender Nino Lomjaria told journalists on May 12, citing suspects’ personal accounts. “We have met all the detainees suspected …

Protesters gathered in thousands at the old Parliament building in Tbilisi at 15:00 to rally against what they see as police brutality and an assault on their rights. No political leaders were welcome at the event. While requests for the government responsibility were voiced, there were no specific coherent demands …

Police officers raided two leading Tbilisi-based clubs Bassiani and Cafe Gallery in the early hours of May 12, allegedly following the leads regarding the dealing and use of club drugs. The move, as well as the police’s heavy handed tactics, caused outcry among rights groups and opposition parties, with thousands …

Drug raids in two leading clubs in Tbilisi in the early hours of 12 May and the police’s heavy handed tactics, caused outcry among rights groups and drug policy activists, prompting calls for resignation of Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili and Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia. The White Noise Movement, one one …

Police officers raided two leading Tbilisi-based clubs Bassiani and Cafe Gallery, allegedly following the leads regarding the dealing and use of club drugs. The police entered the night clubs at around 1 am today, with video footage from the scene showing armed officers moving into the premises to conduct drug …

A wave of drug-related deaths over the past two weeks has reignited the nearly year-long debate on Georgia’s drug policy reform, pitting conservative politicians with activists advocating more liberal drug policy. So far, the government dithers, but is leaning towards the hard line. In recent weeks, at least five young …