Social platform ‘No to Phobia’ on the events in Marneuli and Bolnisi regions

By Anastasia Sokhadze

Friday, March 27

Xenophobia against the ethnic minorities have been a severe issue amid the pandemic.

Many have been using the case of the virus outbreak in Marneuli to spread Xenophobic ideas.

The social platform ‘No to Phobia’ calls on the media and political authorities to contribute to the dissemination of accurate and non-discriminatory information to the public. They also mention that it’s necessary to play an important role in the integration of Azerbaijani citizens.

After the media covered the case of a Marneuli resident, who hid her traveling history and tested positive for COVID-19, Marneuli and Bolnisi were declared as quarantine zones. Discrimination and hate speech started circulating in the public after the events in the quarantine zone.

The platform explained that due to systemic problems faced by ethnic minorities in the country, in particular, language barrier, vulnerability to misinformation, low level of integration, less political involvement, etc., the xenophobic attitude revealed after the spread of the virus was greater than expected. This abets the hate speech and discrimination against ethnic minorities in Georgia.

“In light of current incidents, it is critically significant for each citizen to be held accountable and to promote public consolidation,” states the platform.

Non-governmental organizations have made statements and pointed out the ways of dealing with such grave issues. They call on the media to respond correctly and appropriately to the comments on social media platforms.

They also urge the politicians and public officials to make statements in support of equality and thereby contribute to the social integration of ethnic minorities. They also demand that social activists appeal the cases they witness on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

According to the decision made by the Government of Georgia, due to high epidemiological risk, Marneuli and Bolnisi districts have been put under strict quarantine regime since March 23th. The quarantine conditions include restrictions on entry and exit in Marneuli and Bolnisi municipalities. Police and defense forces are in control of the special checkpoints coming in and out of the city.

Also, all facilities except food and pharmacies are restricted. The government has allowed exceptions, and in the case of a protocol, Marneuli residents will be able to do agricultural work.