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The Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Georgia has rejected a request from an Armenian public organization to hold a protest in front of the Turkish Embassy in Tbilisi on the occasion of Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.
The “Armenian Community of Georgia” organization, which initiated the protest, told OC Media that it had notified the Tbilisi City Hall about the event planned for April 24 as early as late March.
Zhaneta Bagdasaryan, a board member and secretary of the organization, said that a few days later, they were contacted by the MIA and informed that the protest near the Turkish Embassy would not be permitted.
“[A ministry representative] informed us of the refusal to hold the event at the specified location, citing the need to prevent potential risks,” the organization stated.
According to NGO representatives, they requested written confirmation of the refusal, after which they encountered a “lack of coordination between government agencies.”
“Neither the City Hall nor the Ministry of Internal Affairs were aware of any such decision,” the statement read.
The organization further describes the subsequent communication with both departments and the difficulties in obtaining an official document.
The organization also noted that communication issues continued until April 21, when they finally managed to receive an official letter from the ministry.
The letter referenced by the NGO mentions Georgia’s Law “On Assemblies and Manifestations,” according to which the ministry is obliged to ensure a balance between the freedom of assembly and the rights of people living, working, or conducting activities in the protest areas. The agency emphasized that such individuals should not face obstacles in their activities.
“Given the specified location and its characteristics, holding the assembly may pose a risk of violating the requirements set by the aforementioned norm; in this regard, we ask you to consider the expediency of changing the event’s location,” the ministry’s letter concluded.
Bagdasaryan called the letter and its reasoning “unclear,” noting that similar protests had been held at the embassy for the past 20 years.
“The Georgian government knows that our protest is peaceful. In these 20 years, there have been no provocations or incidents that could justify restricting our protest or our right to free expression,” she added.
Bagdasaryan also stated that the organization is not considering the possibility of holding the protest elsewhere, meaning the event will not take place at all.
“It was fundamental for us to hold the protest specifically there, as our demand is Turkey’s recognition of the Armenian Genocide,” she emphasized.
OC Media reached out to the Ministry of Internal Affairs for comment, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
In contrast to the April 24 protest, the community held its annual torchlight procession the previous evening—from the Isani metro station to the Surb Etchmiadzin Church in the Avlabari district. In this case, the MIA approved the route but emphasized that participants must remain on the sidewalk.
According to the protest-related restrictions adopted by the ruling Georgian Dream party and its allies in December 2025, an obligation was introduced to notify the police before holding protests in “pedestrian traffic” zones—including sidewalks—and to await their response.
The police have the right to change both the location and the time of the protest. Failure to comply with the law can lead to imprisonment even for a first offense. Since these amendments were passed, many participants in daily anti-government protests in Tbilisi have been sentenced to several days of arrest.
Prior to the changes, notification was only required for municipal authorities—not the police—only in cases where the protest could block the road; furthermore, there was no obligation to await a state response. Now, this requirement applies not only to the roadway but also to sidewalks, and the police oversee compliance.
While in previous years the Armenian community was generally able to hold protests at the Turkish Embassy without restrictions, there have been exceptions.
For instance, in 2017, the Tbilisi City Hall recommended that organizers refrain from holding the event at that location, citing potential traffic issues.
Earlier, during the 2016 protest, which coincided with the escalation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh, organizers stated that they changed the venue at the request of the authorities to avoid potential provocations.
