Web Portal on Human Rights in Georgia
ARTICLES
2010-05-31
Mass Election Violations in Iormughanlo Village
In the village of Iormughanlo in Sagarejo district, which
is populated by ethnic Azeri people, the municipal elections were held
with mass fabrication and blatant violations. The observers of the Human
Rights Center monitored the election process in all 12 polling stations
in the village. At the end of the Election Day, commission members and
activists of the National Movement increased oppression on the observers
and the Center decided to call their observers back till the end of the
polling day. Below you can read the journalistic report about the
situation in one of the polling stations in Iormughanlo village.
2010-05-31
Elections in Kvemo Kartli Region – Traditional Violations
Various sorts of violations were observed during the
municipal elections in Kvemo Kartli region as it was expected. The main
characteristic feature of the municipal elections in the region was
problem to distinguish the commission members from the National
Movement and opposition parties from each other. Very often, the
representatives of the opposition parties interfered in our activities
and called us provocateurs. After our entrance into the polling
stations, the main interest of the commission members was our rapid
departure from there.
2010-05-30
Election Procedures Are Going On with Blatant Violations in the Villages Populated by Ethnic Minorities
The executive director of the Human Rights Center Ucha Nanuashvili reported that municipal elections are going on with serious violations in the villages populated with ethnic minorities in Kakheti region.2010-05-28
Candidate of the National Movement Does Not Like To Recall Sins of November 7
Public officials in the Kvemo Kartli region, who are on holidays, actively meet the population before the elections. They speak about the achievements of their party and try to persuade the voters that the government always supported the society. The humanrights.ge reminded the single mandate candidate of the National Movement in Rustavi Mamuka Abuladze how he congratulated the masked law enforcement officers about the dispersal of the demonstration on November 7, 2007.
2010-05-28
Peak of the Oppression on Voters and Opposition Parties
“The government does its best to intervene in the
activities of the opposition parties during the municipal elections.
They do it several days before the elections too. Representatives of the
ruling party openly or secretly bribe voters, threaten people and try
to win the elections with the support of similar illegal methods,” said
the representatives of the Kutaisi office of the Alliance for Georgia.
2010-05-27
Commissaries Have Election Posters of the National Movement Pasted in Their Offices
Offices of the commissaries of the territorial entities
in Ozurgeti district are full of election posters and booklets of the
United National Movement. Lawyers say similar action is punished under
the Article 126/18 of the Election Code and imposes fine of 1 500 GEL
over the offender (commissary in this particular case).
2010-05-27
National Deal
The president of Georgia
Saakashvili stated that fair municipal election of Georgia in 2010 is
the issue of dignity for the country. He ordered the members of the
National Movement not to ‘give reason to the opposition parties for
complaining” about their involvement in the election process. However,
in Kakheti region, the secretaries in the election commissions, who
were introduced by the opposition parties and were to protect the
interests of them, in fact cooperate with the National Movement.
2010-05-25
The Human Rights Centre First Celebrated the Muhajir Day in Tbilisi
On May 21, Abkhaz and other
Caucasus nations became the victims of the cruel Russian Imperialist
Policy in the 19th century. This day has been celebrated as a Day of
Muhajirs by the victims of the Russian Empire since then. The Human
Rights Centre decided to celebrate the day in Tbilisi and on May 21
invited the people interested in Georgian-Abkhaz conflict to the Boell
Foundation at the presentation of the documentary film “Seaside of
Sorrow” by Niko Tsuladze.
2010-05-25
“Today the Same People Ask Us to Vote Whom We Elected Yesterday and Received Terrible Results”
Several days are left before the municipal elections.
Consequently, the political parties get more active. On May 30,
Georgian population will elect local authority. Before that, the wave
of promises will cover the country once more. The candidates of the
local government will be closer to people now and listen to their needs.
2010-05-25
“He Developed Tbilisi and Can You Imagine What He Will Do in Akhaltsikhe?” – Residents of Meskheti Region Are Voting for Gigi Ugulava
Several days left before the municipal elections. The local population is indifferent about elections. “Nothing will be changed,” most part of the citizens have this position. The opposition parties are less active there.2010-05-25
Secret about Geno Malazonia’s Detention
The Tax Department started to inspect the JSC “Energy Invest” in April of 2010. A month later, Georgian media sources actively reported about detention of the director of the JSC Geno Malazonia; he is in pre-trial detention at the moment. After his detention, every employee of the enterprise “Nitric”, subordinated to the “Energy Invest”, received special directives – not to give interviews to journalists.2010-05-24
Opposition Parties Are Hindered in Pre-Election Campaign
In Kakheti region, opposition parties are hindered in
pre-election campaign. The election banner of the Alliance for Georgia
was destroyed in Kvareli; in Telavi, the posters of the National
Movement were pasted over the posters of the Alliance for Georgia.
Candidate for the membership of the parliament from the political party
“Tortladze- Democrat Party“ in Gurjaani district Levan Cholokashvili
said that he was not allowed to meet the doctors and teachers.
2010-05-21
“You Cannot Torment Svaneti Region!”
“You cannot torment Svaneti region!” this phrase is an
extract from a video-recording of the violent action of the officials
of the governmental and the ministry of internal affairs in Mestia on
May 3; the leaders of the opposition parties in Svaneti region
exclusively provided the presa.ge with the recording.
2010-05-21
Prosecutor’s Office Started Investigation on Fabricated Protocol Before the Elections
The prosecutor’s office started investigation on the
protocol, which was changed in an obscure situation; the election
commission of the district # 62 dismissed their members.
2010-05-20
Obama's Betrayal of Georgia Kind of Makes Sense
Leading into the office of Mikheil Saakashvili, the
president of Georgia, there is a room lined with more than a hundred
photographs. Bill Clinton is there, and so are John McCain, Condoleezza
Rice and, quite prominently, Richard Gere. Right beside the door, at
center stage, there's a shot of George W. Bush watching Saakashvili bend
down on the White House lawn and fondle his terrier, Barney. Taken
together, the room is like an ostentatious Rolodex put out on display, a
symbol of where Saakashvili has gotten his confidence. But there is no
one on those walls from the Obama administration, and after last week
it's little wonder why.
2010-05-20
Sen. McCain Criticizes Obama over Georgia
Republican Senator John McCain criticized the Obama
administration saying that support for liberty and human rights is
"mostly missing" from the U.S. foreign policy and as one of the
examples, among others, the Senator brought situation in Georgia
vis-à-vis Russia.
2010-05-20
Zurab Kharatishvili Suggested that the District Election Commission Leave State Buildings
In Shida Kartli region all
district election commissions are located in the administrative
buildings. Chairperson and members of the regional election commissions
can meet the governmental officials at any time because the district
administration and the election commission offices have one entrance.
The chairman of the Central Election Commission of Georgia Zurab
Kharatishvili requested the commission members to be careful in the
cooperation with the local officials.
2010-05-20
Workers On Strike in Rustavi
On May 17, the workers of the GeoStyle Ltd went on strike
in Rustavi. “Low salaries, no drinking water and toilets – these are
our main problems. We have to work two days and nights a week and the
salary is 300 GEL per month. It is slavery. They know that the country
is poor and people live in unbearable conditions; so they treat us
nastily. We went on strike 7 months ago too. We had same requirements.
The administration promised to improve the conditions but nothing was
changed,” said the worker of the factory Beso Bazadze. Strikers said
they cannot take a bath after a working-day. “We have neither bath-room
nor the dinning-room.”
2010-05-20
Opposition Parties Complain about Unequal Election Conditions
Two weeks before the municipal elections the opposition
parties started to complain about the unequal pre-election conditions.
Unlike the governmental officials, the single mandate candidates of the
opposition parties state that everything is ready in Kutaisi, like
throughout Georgia, to rig the elections.
2010-05-20
“We Have No Other Way but Living Together!” – Georgian Students Appeal to Abkhaz People
“If we want to gain Abkhazia back, we should first gain
the hearts of Abkhaz people back; we should restore the broken bridge
between the two nations of one state,” “Public diplomacy and peace will
help us,” “We should forgive each other’s sins,” said the Georgian
students during the discussion of Georgian-Abkhaz problem. However, we
encountered radical statements too: “We will gain the territory lost by
the war only through the war,” “Abkhaz people are blinded by Russia,”
etc.
OTHER NEWS
Chairman of Parliament Talked About the Activities Security Members
Ministry of Internal Affairs Is Going To Buy Supervisory Videos Carrying On Bodies
Instances of pressure exerted on individuals detained on the Case of the Ministry of Agriculture need to be investigated
Trial on Former Head of Kakheti CSD Laliashvili
Cars of Eco-Migrants from Tsalka Fined
Archive
BLOG
Historic Review of Georgian Political Advertisement
In 2005, American researchers estimated that political advertisements on TV have short (two-week) impact on voters. But the result is so rapid andDetailed...
Pre-election Advertisement Promises
Quality and Purpose of Political Advertisements
EDITORIAL
Human Rights Center to Monitor Trials on Former Senior Governmental Officials
How the detention process of former senior officials is going on; whether political motivation is detected in it and will the new initiativeDetailed...
As a result of international oppression, State Audit Office and National Bureau of Enforcement postponed the repressions
The August war- who is guilty?
POLL
How do you think, did the political prisoners, released by the Parliament of Georgia short time ago, deserve freedom?