Lado Apkhazava, a finalist for the 2019 Global Teacher Award, was fined 5,000 GEL for protesting outside a judge’s residence. In a show of solidarity, more than 5,800 teachers each contributed 1.5 GEL to support him

Something incredible is happening to me. I don’t know where such overwhelming solidarity is coming from. I barely managed to count how many 1.5 GEL transfers were made because I knew that everyone who sent 1.5 GEL would be a teacher.

There are already more than 5,800 teachers who have transferred 1.50 GEL. Besides that, I bought some sweets for my ninth-grade students, and after that, I noticed there were ten more transactions.

I will pay the fine myself, and I might even help pay someone else’s. I’ll probably support the journalists who stood firmly in court because of their colleagues.

said Lado Apkhazava in the interview with Batumelebi