A court in Tbilisi has set a trial date of May 20 for 10 gay rights activists who have been charged with vandalism and resisting arrest.
The activists were detained on May 16 after they allegedly tried to paint the walls of administrative buildings in Tbilisi with the colors of a rainbow — a symbol of gay pride.
The group was released after preliminary hearings on May 17.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activists in Georgia announced earlier that they would not organize a gay-pride march on May 17 – the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia.
They said their decision was based on a lack of safety guarantees from Georgian law-enforcement officials.
In 2013, Georgian LGBT activists who tried to carry out a gay-pride march in Tbilisi were severely beaten by members of antigay groups.
by RFE/RL’s Georgian Service
Source – Radio Free Europe
