The News in Brief

Parents of Children with Duchenne Appeal to Prosecutor's Office Over Police Conduct

Parents of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy have filed a formal appeal with the Prosecutor's Office, alleging "illegal instructions" by police during their ongoing protests in front of the State Chancellery. The parents claim the restrictions constitute several crimes, including abuse of official authority and obstruction of the right to assembly.

The group has been holding daily rallies to demand state funding for life-saving medicines and research currently unavailable in Georgia. Despite the peaceful nature of the demonstrations, parents report that police have forbidden them from bringing tents, pillows, or poufs to the public square.

"The constant presence of parents without these items on wooden benches, in the open air for 24 hours, poses a threat to our health," the statement reads, noting that on April 27, one parent required emergency medical assistance due to the conditions. They further alleged that on April 20, children with the genetic disease were barred from entering the government office lobby to present their demands

The appeal asks the Prosecutor's Office to investigate these actions under articles of the Criminal Code related to discrimination and the obstruction of protest rights. There are approximately 100 children in Georgia living with Duchenne, a condition that leads to muscle wasting and premature death without proper treatment.



For the Georgia Party to Summon State Institutional Heads Over Price Hikes

The For Georgia parliamentary faction has announced plans to formally summon the heads of three major state institutions to testify before the interim parliamentary commission investigating the pricing of food, medicine, and fuel. The faction intends to call in Natia Turnava, President of the National Bank; Irakli Lekvinadze, Head of the Competition and Consumer Protection Agency; and Gogita Todradze, Executive Director of Geostat.

Giorgi Sharashidze, a leader of the faction and member of the price commission, stated that hearing from these officials is essential to obtaining a "complete picture" of the economic situation. Sharashidze argued that the commission's work has been too narrow thus far, focusing almost exclusively on information provided by the business sector.

"High prices are the responsibility of the government," Sharashidze noted, emphasizing that the National Bank oversees inflation while the Competition Agency is tasked with identifying unfair market agreements that businesses are unlikely to admit to themselves. He added that the faction will submit a formal written request for the summonses tomorrow, warning that any final conclusions reached by the commission without state institutional input would be fundamentally incomplete.