By the end of December, a new law will come into effect in Georgia, prohibiting the covering of faces during public gatherings. The announcement was made on December 8 by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, representing the ruling party, during a special briefing.
“Everyone is wearing masks, making it hard for the police to respond appropriately, which leads to such violence. It’s impossible to tell who is a protester and who isn’t.
Therefore, we will introduce a law banning face coverings of any kind during public gatherings. Similar laws exist in many EU member states, and it is important to adopt such legislation in Georgia to prevent violence in our country.
Technically, we can organize the process so that the law is passed by the end of next week and comes into force by the end of the month.”
The decision follows recent attacks by masked, aggressive groups on journalists and opposition politicians. Unknown individuals dressed in black and wearing face coverings brutally assaulted a news crew from the Pirveli TV channel and vandalized the office of the opposition “Coalition for Change,” injuring two people.
“These attacks are provocations aimed at artificially escalating tensions in the country,” Kobakhidze said.
