On 25 March, the “No to Phobia platform“, a coalition of Georgian watchdog organizations, expressed their concerns over “the wave of xenophobia” that erupted upon the ethnic Azerbaijani majority living in the Marneuli and Bolnisi municipalities, reported civil.ge. 

The NGOs stated that following the shut down of Marneuli and Bolnisi municipalities, “statements promoting discrimination and containing hate speech [targeting local ethnic Azerbaijanis] were disseminated in the society, especially in social media.” The organizations also noted that “given systemic problems the ethnic minorities face, the xenophobic attitude expressed against them following the spread of the virus in the municipalities further aggravates the existing challenges and foments their ostracization.” The NGOs added that some of these comments promoted discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity as well as health condition.

In response to the xenophobic statements, ethnic Azerbaijani civic activists launched a campaign in social networks, stating that they take pride in their Georgian citizenship, that they speak Georgian language, and that they observe the restrictions imposed by the authorities including a Stay-at-Home order. Meanwhile, many ethnic Georgian citizens have expressed their support for ethnic Azerbaijani citizens. Georgian State Inspector Londa Toloraia also voiced her support towards the residents of the municipalities. “I am confident that ethnic Azerbaijani[s] of Georgia will successfully tackle COVID-19, though they will never forget how we offended them in these trying times,” she said.

According to the latest 2014 General Population Census of Georgia, Marneuli Municipality is home to 104,300 inhabitants, while Bolnisi Municipality is inhabited by 53,590 persons. The two municipalities are densely populated by the ethnic Azerbaijani community in Georgia. Ethnic Azerbaijanis make up around 80% of Marneuli Municipality. Georgia is home to 233,000 Azerbaijanis, who account for 6.3% of the country’s 3,7 million population. 

The Georgian government identified these two municipalities as the epicenter of the viruse’s spread in the country. The government has imposed a stricter regime in thoses locations compared to the rest of the country with police and military oversight round-the-clock.

 The current tally of confirmed cases in Georgia stands at 77.