Web Portal on Human Rights in Georgia

The famous case of Nino Avetisova, the former personal assistant of the governors, Mikheil Kareli and Irakli Okruashvili, will soon conclude in the Gori District Court. The Shida Kartli Prosecutor's Office detained Avetisova in spring, 2006. Gori residents had brought suit against her then. They complained that Nino Avetisova had extorted some money from them. The accused promised to find jobs for them with the help of Okruashvili and Kareli.

We took issue with the unreasonable expenses of the Shida Kartli Governor’s fund in 2004. Two years ago, journalists examined the Governor’s fund using data from the Chamber of Control Based on the information gathered, the 'Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre' published articles about abuses with the Governor’s fund and the names of real and fictitious charity businessmen who were donating to the fund. Now we have uncovered a new violation.

It has been clear for quite a long time that Okruashvili and Merabishvili are rivals in obtaining influence over the Gori region. Officially the division between these two high-ranking law enforcers started after staff changes within the police. Whilst Okruashvili supports Aleko Sukhitashvili and his people, who are being punished by Merabishvili for being involved in the smuggling business, Merabishvili supports those whom Okruashvili blames for appropriating and wasting state property and for crimes committed long before the revolution.

Since last year, the State Agency for Social Aid and Employment has released a definition of families below the poverty level. The first registration of those in need of aid has now finished, with 40,001 so called ‘points’ estimated as the poverty limit. Impoverished people who have exceeded this limit, now find themselves unable to receive aid and blame social agents for incompetence and corruption.