Number of hunger-strikers in front of Georgian parliament reaches 18

Three more persons have joined the women who are holding a hunger strike in Tbilisi, demanding a large-scale amnesty. The total number of protesters has reached 18.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 8, prisoners' family members went on a hunger strike demanding a large-scale amnesty before the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 31. On September 12, the number of hunger-strikers made 15.

The prisoners' relatives have drafted a bill on a large-scale amnesty, but the parliament ignored the proposal; and this caused the protest.

On September 14, three more women joined the hunger-strikers, whose relatives are in jails; thus, the total number of hunger-strikers reached 18, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, who was present in the venue, reports.

Liya Bezhashvili, one of the hunger-strikers, felt bad due to a drop in blood sugar; she fainted. An ambulance was called by the policemen, who are constantly monitoring the hunger strike, the protesters told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The women-hunger-strikers said that one of the MPs announced his intention to meet them on September 15. They expressed hope that MPs would treat their demands with "understanding."

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 15, 2020 at 03:49 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.