Parents of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy complained about a ban on setting up tents in Tbilisi.

Protesters demanding modern treatment methods for children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy held a 24-hour protest outside the Chancellery of the Government of Georgia, but police prohibited them from setting up tents. The department's ban has been appealed in court.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on the 507th day of daily protests, participants in a weekly march in Tbilisi demanded that the Georgian government import modern medications for the treatment of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Parents of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy plan to spend the night in front of the Chancellery (government administration) building. However, the Ministry of Internal Affairs prohibited the organizers from setting up tents and demanded that the protest be shortened. Its initiators have appealed this decision in court and also plan to file a complaint with the prosecutor's office.

According to them, this instruction from the Ministry of Internal Affairs is unconstitutional and illegal, Interpressnews reports.

One of the mothers reported that they were prohibited from pitching tents because it would disturb tourists and allegedly violate their rights. The protesting parents are also demanding the arrival of the Public Defender, as they believe the ombudsman should protect the rights of parents participating in the protest, Publica reports.

According to the parents of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, "government media disseminated false information about the drug they are demanding be imported," informing the public only of the medication's negative properties. They claim the government is trying to "hide its own helplessness" by misleading the public. The parents are demanding a meeting with Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze to discuss the problem and their demands. Police have been deployed to the scene, InterPressNews reports.

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili stated today that the medication the mothers are requesting for their children could be dangerous because the studies have not yet been completed, according to TV Pirveli.

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze made a similar statement. He stated that the manufacturer cannot be held responsible for the efficacy and safety of the drug for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which the parents are requesting be imported to Georgia, Rustavi reports.

Duchenne disease (Duchenne muscular dystrophy) is diagnosed in approximately one in 3,500 to 4,000 boys and is characterized by progressive muscular dystrophy that manifests itself in early childhood and leads to the inability to walk in the second decade of life and, in most cases, to death in the second or third decade of life, pediatrician Evgeny Zolotov previously told a Caucasian Knot correspondent.

"The disease is caused by a change (mutation, most often a deletion or duplication) in the dystrophin gene, located on the X chromosome. The gene that causes the disease is located on the X chromosome, and therefore the disease is much more pronounced in boys, since they have only one X chromosome." - he noted. According to him, this is a very rare and narrow specialization among doctors.

As a reminder, during the month of Ramadan, a fundraising campaign for 230 million rubles was closed for the treatment of a nine-year-old boy from Dagestan with Duchenne muscular dystrophy using the drug Elevidis. Earlier, on January 1, 2026, a fundraising campaign for another child from Dagestan with this diagnosis was also closed. The Russian foundation "Circle of Kindness" only covers treatment for children with this diagnosis who are under the age of nine years and one month.

Protesters in Georgia have been demanding new parliamentary elections and the release of political prisoners since November 28, 2024. Security forces carried out violent dispersals of the protests, using tear gas and water cannons, and detained protesters. Thousands of people have been subjected to administrative prosecution during the protests. The "Caucasian Knot" has prepared a report "The Main Thing About the Persecution of Protest Participants in Georgia".