On July 30, the Independent Group of Feminists held a demonstration called “We’re Shutting Down the Institution of Virginity.” The idea of this demonstration emerged after a report done by Imedi TV on Levan Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau, where it became clear that alongside with their main activity, the Bureau provides so called virginity testing and issues a document on whether or not the applicant is a virgin. Imedi TV reporter also states that apparently, women do not only undergo this procedure on their own initiative, but are compelled to do so by their future husbands or mothers-in-law. The procedure itself is not cheap, for instance, in order to get an instant result, one has to pay 350 GEL. At the same time, the expertise can establish whether or not the applicant had undergone a “hymen restoration procedure” at Iva Kuzanov’s Plastic Surgery Clinic. It is noteworthy that this latter procedure is the most popular one in Georgia, after Rhinoplasty. The demonstration started at 19:00 in front of the head office of the Levan Samkharauli Forensics Bureau. Participants armed with posters and whistles demanded that the Bureau ceases to provide this kind of services and spoke about the discriminatory nature of the limitations posed to women’s sexuality and sexual behavior, which often become the reason for their violent treatment. On the same day Levan Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau issued an official statement categorically denying that they provide any kind of “virginity tests” (besides the procedures of purely forensic nature and legal necessity) or issue any kind of documents in regards to the applicant’s virginity. It is noteworthy, that all this controversy has been brought to the attention of Georgian politicians. While the Georgian Minister of Justice, Tea Tsulukiani stated, that such practices are indicative of a regressing society, and Tina Khidasheli stated that she was simply “shocked” when she heard about so called “virginity certificates”, another member of the ruling party Zaqaria Kutsnashvili issued a following comment: “The spouse is the most significant person entitled to issue such a document, so, if a husband is interested in legal and expert involvement, we cannot forbid that. So, let us look at this matter more lightly and just talk to our spouses about it.” The demonstration ended without any incidents and received wide media coverage.