Web Portal on Human Rights in Georgia
ARTICLES
2008-10-15
Member of Municipality Board Threatened Anchor on Live TV
In the evening of October 13, Eva Lomtadze, member of Lagodekhi Municipality Board and chairwoman of the commission for social issues, threatened Marina Gogoladze, journalist and TV presenter of weekly program “Studia Dialogi” of the TV Company Lagodekhi. Evidently, Lomtadze was irritated by the fact that the TV Company did not block some of the questions presented by the TV audience. The program also showed a piece where those livng in Lagodekhi harshly criticized the local MP.”2008-10-15
Human Rights Still Abused Regardless of Changes in Mental Health Institutions
Despite changes and implemented reforms in mental hospitals human rights of patients are still being abused in Georgia. Various facts of torture and inhuman treatment are still being observed at various mental health institutions throughout the country. On the World Mental Health Day the Georgian Public Defender’s office organized a presentation of reports submitted from the Civil Council of Human Rights Monitoring when it comes to the situation in mental health institutions. The reports described the situation that patients face in mental hospitals accompanying recommendations are provided. 2008-10-15
Business Owners Tricked as Election Ploy in Adjara
“Low interest rate loan was the government’s pre-election promise aiming at gaining more votes later turned out to be another politically-based lie.”
The Adjarian government started a large scaled campaign of issuing low interest rate loans during the pre-election period for seats in the parliamentary assembly of the Adjaran Autonomous Republic (AAR) Most of business persons working in Adjara took part in this campaign. Some business owners were even filmed by TV Company Rustavi 2 and aired during a business news program entitled Business Kurieri. They were described as the movers and shakers of various business projects in the TV news. However, the business persons who participated in the program that was aimed at allocating 5 million GELS for business related activities were actually deceived by the government.2008-10-13
Employees of Telavi Municipality Steal Humanitarian Food Assistance from Poor People
Free dining halls for socially excluded people function in almost every district, which was considered until recently as a social safety net. The feeding of socially excluded people has been mainly funded from the local budgets. 1 GEL and 20 Tetris were spent on each person per day. Socially excluded people receive one loaf of bread and one pot of sauce without any meat; the dining halls have been unable to provide normal feeding to poor without charitable organizations helping them to make up the difference. However, it turned out that the representatives of the local government have not been supplying donated humanitarian provisions to the intended destination. 2008-10-13
Ukrainian Citizen Accuses Georgian Policemen of Torture
Orest Bokhonko from Kiev blames officers from main department of Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti regional police for torture and inhuman treatment. Georgian law enforcers detained Ukrainian citizen in Tbilisi international airport on August 27. He is suspected of having purchase and transported internationally a particularly large amount of narcotics. Police officers from regional department claim they withdrew the drug “Metadon” from the rectum of Bokhonko. Ukrainian citizen categorically denies the accusations. His attorney, Shorena Kalandia speaks about those violations that occurred during the detention.2008-10-13
What People Think: Truth of the Matter, War is far-from-over
The August events over the war jeopardized Georgia is now a moot point and not opened to be still questioned. It is also obvious that the emotions stirred up by August war have not subsided in the country till now. Moreover, there is no indication that they are being reduced; tension levels are still raised. Even though the Russians have withdrawn from Shida Kartli and Samegrelo Regions, they took with them lots of looted provisions. However, in spite of the pullback they still remain well dug-in in Akhalgori and Sachkhere districts. The Russians continue digging trenches in Perevi with the same degree of anxiety they demonstrated several weeks ago. All things considered, local conclude that the “war is not over yet”.2008-10-10
Inhabitants of High Mountain Village Request Help
“We have neither electricity nor a road. We can not even dream about the possibility of a supply of gas. We are in very difficult situation, and especially in winter and during the season when there are floods. When there is heavy rain the river Cheremis Khevi spins out of its banks and the only road connecting our village with the district is closed. At that season of the year we are isolated with the rest of the world. We stock up wheat flour and other provisions during the summer so that we do not starve out during the winter,” says Tamar Iaganashvili, one of those living in the village of Cheremi. 2008-10-10
One Law Can not Change Entire Georgian Legal System
Draft of the Criminal Procedural Code is a new step in on-going reforms. The chairperson of the Supreme Court made such an assessment of the draft code that will go in force in 2009. The code aims to implement innovations in three directions: to introduce the institute of jury, to appoint judges without fixed terms and to employ one member from the opposition on the Supreme Council of Justice.
2008-10-10
Criminal Investigation of Misappropriated IDP Funding
The Constitutional Security Department of the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs has opened a criminal investigation into unreasonable expenses and misappropriation of the funds that were allocated to meet the needs of IDPs from the Shida Kartli region. These Georgians became IDPs as a result of the war situation in August. A reliable source reported to the Human Rights Center about the opening of the investigation. Investigators of the CSD already have interrogated several businesspersons who claim to have allocated several thousand GELS for the purpose of assisting needy IDPs.2008-10-10
Coming-home to houses looted by Ossetians and/or by Georgians – or both
Yesterday the representatives of sub-department of Shida Kartli Regional Police glumly entered Georgian villages. The inhabitants of the villages of Nikozi, Pkhvenisi, Ergneti, Brotsleti and so on met the Georgian law enforcement with utter happiness. Marat Kulakhmetov, the head of Russian peacekeepers handed the former Russian block posts over to Vova Jugheli, who is the head of Shida Kartli Regional Police. 2008-10-09
Single Mother Blames Georgian Soldier for Attempted Rape
A criminal investigation is under way on the attempted rape of the single mother with two children who lives in Akhaltsikhe. The alleged abuser and attempted rapists is claimed to be a Georgian soldier. On September 23 a young woman of 28 appealed to the Akhaltsikhe district department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. 2008-10-09
Principal of Several Art Schools Threaten Teachers with Dismissal over Salary Arrears
Music School teachers in the village of Tibaani (Sighnaghi District) have not received any salary for the fourth month now and the arrears are steadily adding up. Tamila Dzmanashvili, Sighnaghi Municipality Art and Sports School principal who is the head of Sighnaghi District music schools states that the Municipality is unable to pay to the Tibaani Music School teachers because they do not have available funds in the budget. This is not the only problem in Tibaani Musich School but other schools as well. Teachers and parents of large and impoverished families are unable to study without fees at school in spite of governmental policy otherwise. Tamila Dzmanashvili, head of Union of Art Schools threatened if the Tibaani Music School teachers complained to state bodies about not receiving their salaries and that she would have to dismiss them their employment at school. 2008-10-08
Now “No Chance” to Negotiate with Ossetians and Abkhazians
“The International Community is not in then position to demand the republics, which were declared independent by Russia, to return the Kodori Gorge (Abkhazia region) or Akhalgori districts (South Ossetia) that had been till the August under Georgian jurisdiction. Nothing can be achieved in this direction just because the international community does not officially recognize them as independent states. De-facto Abkhazia and de-facto Ossetia do not exist for Europe.2008-10-07
Energo- Having to Pay for Electricity of Others
On October 3 2008, Georgian National Commission of Energetic Regulation discussed the temporary rules for JSC Kakheti Energy Distribution Company to estimate the consumed electricity for individual electricity meters. Despite many protests by locals and the lack of compliance with acting Georgian legislation, the Commission has allowed the distribution company to use communal meters up to June 1 2009.2008-10-07
‘Tskhinvali full of Broken Glass and Dead Bodies”….
“Ordeal of an Ossetian Woman” who left Tskhinvali 5 days ago
“By August 7th there were hardly any civilians left in Tskhinvali. Everyone knew that the war would soon start. I met Valia Jioeva, my acquaintance and the cook from the prison in the street. She told me that she was leaving Tskhinvali and this was three days before the war actually started. When I asked her where she was going she said that the prison administration freed those who were good at shooting and the prison staff received their salaries in advance. They were then told to escape in order to save their lives. I immediately called my son who lives in the Georgian village of Disevi following this conversation. He was building a house at that time. I told him the evacuation process had started in Tskhinvali and warned him to evacuate the family from the village as soon as possible. 2008-10-06
Kakhetian Vine Growers Accuse Government of Double-dealing and Lies
The vine growers from Kakheti region have fully evaluated the statements of Prime Minister of Georgia as lies. Moreover, the same is true with the Minister of Agriculture and the Kakheti Regional Governor on the statements about the “successful” harvest in the Kakheti Region – all liars. The truck are bottlenecked at wineries loaded with grapes, The lines in front of wine factories are so long that you can not even see where they end. The vine growers stand in the queue day and night. Peasants are crying in Kvareli, Gurjaani, Sagarejo, Telavi and Sighnaghi districts. Several of them have been trying to sell grape for several days already. Wine-factories receive the grape only from those people who are close to them. 2008-10-06
Foreign Press during and after Russian-Georgian War
Inspiration And Danger In Georgia
By Michael Gerson
Washington Post
Wednesday, August 20, 2008;
Daniel Fried: "Georgia badly miscalculated in this crisis. President Mikheil Saakashvili believed he could quickly gobble up his breakaway provinces, just as he did in Georgia's southwest four years ago. He is a hothead who acted against American advice. "2008-10-06
The Family of Killed Soldier Not Declared as a Victim
Attorney of Killed not introduced to the Case
The family of late Roin Shavadze, soldier of 23rd Battalion which was killed by Special Unit was not declared as a victim. 2008-10-06
Uprising or Panic: Why Prisoners punished in Zugdidi Prison?!
8 prisoners from Zugdidi Prison # 4 face extended prison terms for allegedly assaulting the prison administration and for not having followed penitentiary institution employees’ legitimate demands. Some of prisoners are from a group of 8 that have been sentenced to 2 months of pre trial detention and some had already been sentenced on September 30 to additional jail term. The incident which became the reason for charging prisoners occurred on August 11th, 2008. A prison guard together with the prisoners was injured during the incident. It can be considered that all 8 prisoners have become victims of Russian occupation, as the Russian military aggression to Georgia caused panic in Zugdidi Prison #4. After having stated about possible bombing the Georgian Government did not even try to evacuate prisoners from the prison facility in light that the facility could have been bombed.2008-10-03
Georigan IDPs on Verge of Starvation in Kakheti Region
Were Tens of Thousands of GEL Collected from Businesspersons Squandered?
Vano Merabishvili, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia reported to Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili about the work the Georgian government is conducting for helping the people who incurred loses from the Russian aggression of August. However, the Minister of Internal Affairs did not mention anything about the IDPs residing in the Kakheti region. Most of them continue to live in under the most unbearable of conditions. Bread, let alone medicines and the most essential of products are being provided only in small quantities. There is not an adequate amount for all IDPs. They are receiving this aid within the frameworks of UN World Food Program. On top of all their other problems, the meager aid is not even being distributed on time. No one knows where the representatives of district governments within Kakheti region spent tens of thousands of GEL that were raised from businesspersons and employees of Kakheti regional organizations, and some was funded from various state bodies. OTHER NEWS
Human Rights Center Commenced a New Project - Support to the Prevention of Violence against Women in Georgia
Disabled Prisoner Blames Influential Prisoners and Prison Administration in Threatening His Life
Georgian Public Broadcaster Is Ordered to Air Social Roll of Human Rights Center
Public Debate: Investigation of Crimes Committed during 2008 War and Security Challenges
Female Prisoner on Hunger Strike in Prison # 5
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