Web Portal on Human Rights in Georgia

Samtredia based special school for juvenile offenders is the only institution for juveniles in Georgia. Thirty three juveniles, suspected in various crimes, are being taught how to start a new life. They also attend ordinary school lessons there. Juveniles are watching TV carefully, they wonder whether the information they have heard in rumors, is true. People say that juveniles might be tried like adults in future. Consequently, these children are afraid of being tried and it is quite natural.

Akhaltsikhe population has not been supplied with water for a week already. They are threatening to hold demonstrations regarding the situation.

In December 2006, new people were employed at village and district administrative boards, at town Municipalities. According to lawyers, the process of employment was hand in hand with the process of violating the law. However, the violations did not make the Kakheti Region Governor furious. He only became upset when learning about many of the employees in above-mentioned offices.

According to the Ministry of Healthcare, in Kakheti region, nearly 90 000 people were granted with free medical policies within the framework of the “Poverty Reduction Program.” Thus, they can enjoy free medical treatment; however, many of them are stated at the Gurjaani District Hospital that the policies were abolished and nobody will be treated without money.

Criminal Case has been launched against the patrol policemen for the Internal Ministry’s Kakheti Department, Vakhtang Zatikashvili and Giorgi Naskidashvili on the fact of Igor Chamiashvili’s beating. The Internal Ministry’s Gurjaani Department is investigating the case.

To find out the reality, Human Rights Center got in touch with the representatives of the Tbilisi City Hall who were in charge to make some decisions and sign documents on the case materials. One of them is Temur Kurkhuli, (that time Prime Mayer), secretary of the City Municipality.

The Human Rights Center’s Gori Organization received a petition from the teachers of public schools from the villages of Dirbi, Aklhalsofeli and Urbnisi in the Kareli District. The teachers wrote in their petition that they did not receive the vouchers in December of 2005 and entered the 2006 without their salaries. The teachers investigated the reasons for the incident and initially applied to the director followed by the head of the Resource Center. However, they could not receive any answer, because those people did not know where that money had disappeared.

Fifteen-year-old Giorgi has been detained for several days now. He arrested after taking a toy-pram from the neighbor’s house to entertain his eighteen-month-old brother. Giorgi, who takes care of his brothers and sisters, has no father and his mother is sick. Since he was detained four little children have been left without care.

Since tax allowances were abolished on press on January 1 2007, independent newspapers have faced many difficulties and the situation in the regions is particularly complicated. Many publications have not been able to publish their editions frequently. The progressive newspapers that were critical and locked horns with the government are no longer published.

Non-governmental organization, Human Rights Centre, has brought suit at the Gurjaani District Court against the district Municipality. The suitor demands to abolish the December 8, 2006 resolution of the Municipality according to which Ramaz Kerechashvili was appointed to the position of Gamgebeli (governor).

Lamara Geguchadze, a resident in Kutaisi applied to the Human Rights Center’s Kutaisi office after discovering her house had burnt down in her village of Banoja in the Tskaltubo district. The victim said that she initially applied to the Internal Ministry’s Tsakltubo district Department with oral and written appeal. However, everyone seemed to ignore her.

Today, a group of young people, members of non-governmental youth organization “New Generation for United Georgia” and approximately five hundred students and youngsters held a peaceful demonstration on the Enguri Bridge (which is connecting Samegrelo region with breakaway Abkhazia). The key requirement of demonstrators was to cease violation on ethnically Georgian population living in the territory of Abkhazia.

In Batumi, the society “Sinatle” for blind people is situated far from the city center at the end of the Griboedovi Street…Buses do not operate in that direction so it is expensive to get there. It is also difficult to cross the street for Rezo Mikeladze because he is blind. Twenty-three years ago, a landmine exploded near him and he lost his eyesight.

Series of problems for Dato Roketishvili, Borjomi resident, has started since a policeman raped a little girl. Roketishvili speaks about the harassment he endures from the chief and officers from the Borjomi Internal Ministry Department.

Poor people living in the Kakheti region don’t hold the “Poverty Reduction Program” in high esteem. They even doubt if it exists to assist poor families. There are serious doubts about the competence of social workers and it is alleged that some are corrupt. Program applicants also claimed that the board of the Kakheti Regional Center for the State Social Aid and Employment does not show interests in their needs and their insensitivity is well demonstrated with the way representatives of the social agency insult the poor people when they call in for assistance over the phone.

The Georgian Civil Code, Article 1120 prohibits the mentally and physically disabled people to get married. The Public Defender does not welcome the restriction and demands the chairwoman of the Parliament to cancel the draft law.

The representatives of the “Republic Party” Gori Office dedicated the recent press-conference to the integration of the Gori and Tskhinvali Universities. The residents of the Shida Kartli Region were concerned about the situation for the last time. The initiative about integration was proposed by the board of the Tskhinvali University.

Human Rights Center demanded to launch a criminal case against Vakhtang Zatikashvili and Giorgi Naskidashvili, inspectors of the Patrol Police Kakheti Regional Department.

ECRI was established by the Council of Europe. It is an independent human rights monitoring body specialised in questions relating to racism and intolerance

The Human Rights Center blames the Gurjaani local authority misappropriating state funds. The non-governmental organization is demanding that a criminal investigation be opened into the alleged high-ranking governmental officials involved.