In Tbilisi, near the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture, the protest action regarding Rachi forests is going on for the second day.

The participants of the rally are demanding the release of one of the leaders of the movement "For Saving the Rioni Valley", Varlam Goletiani and 10 other detainees.

At the moment, a trial is underway in the Tbilisi City Court for the actions committed under Articles 166 and 173 of the Code of Administrative Offenses against the mentioned persons.

In addition, the protest participants demand a meeting with the Minister of Environment Protection and Agriculture, Otar Shamugia, to find out what the agency's plan is regarding Racha forests.

Also, the main demand of the protest participants is the cancellation of the 49-year hunting license for 104,712 hectares of forest in the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti regions issued in March 2022.

Those gathered near the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture have posters with the inscriptions: "Who did you ask?", "Protect Racha", "If we keep silent, the forests will start talking", "The forest belongs to the people", "Cancel the license", "Stop ecocide in Rioni valley".

In addition, the solidarity rally is taking place in Kutaisi.

Law enforcement officers are mobilized on the spot.

The Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture responded to the issue on November 18. According to the agency, there is no reason to hold protests and "it is a lie that the forest in Racha was sold".

According to them, the issue of declaring the hunting license invalid will be considered in the appropriate terms according to the law.

The Public Defender of Georgia also responded to the fact of the arrest of the participants of the rally held on November 18 near the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture. The statement says that the Office of the Public Defender has already started studying the legality of the detention.