Web Portal on Human Rights in Georgia
ARTICLES
2010-06-09
Refugees from Chechnya VS UNHCR
Chechen refugees sheltering in Pankisi Gorge blame the UN
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in their discrimination on
ethnic grounds. According to the refugees, the UNHCR promised each
family to allocate 8-10 thousand USD if they naturalize in Georgia.
After this offer, the Chechen refugees declined the refugee status and
obtained the citizenship of Georgia; however, the UNHCR did not keep
their promises.
2010-06-08
Tbilisi City Hall Hides Unreasonable Expenditures
MP from the opposition party Giorgi Tsagareishvili
imposes the responsibility for the “criminal” activities of the Tbilisi
mayor on the people who voted for Gigi Ugulava on May 30.
2010-06-08
President Boasts about Rapidly and Badly Constructed Prisons
New detention setting # 1 of general and strict regime
was opened in Rustavi. On June 1, the president Mikheil Saakashvili
personally attended the opening ceremony and reminded the invited guests
of the situation in old detention settings. “Here criminals ran
everything. Inmates did not have food. Everything was sent from outside
and the crimes in Georgia were planned from the prison. The prisoners
estimated sums for the return of stolen cars; they planned attacks on
businessmen. All in all, it was place for anti-sanitary, disorder and
illegality in Georgia.”
2010-06-08
Ministry Has Not Resolved Problems of IDPs in Former Military Hospital
Initially, 1 500 IDPs were sheltered in the building of
the former Russian military hospital in Isani district in Tbilisi.
Nowadays, about 600 IDPs live there. 390 of them are so-called new IDPs
(displaced as a result of the war in August of 2008) and 210 so-called
old IDPs (displaced during the armed conflicts in 1990s). Although more
than one and half year has passed since the August war, the IDPs living
in this building have not received an IDP status and single money
allowance yet.
2010-06-08
Kutaisi Car-Factory –Myth or Reality
About one year ago, the
president of Georgia announced to the Georgian population on TV that
“Kutaisi car-factory will obtain its old functions back. The work-shops
will start working, Georgian product will be produced and thousands
workers will be employed.” To make his statement more convincing,
Mikheil Saakashvili showed a cardboard box with the inscription “Made in
Georgia” and called upon everybody to start working in the factory.
Thus, the president started to eradicate the unemployment in Kutaisi. A
year later, the car-factory looks much worse than ever.
2010-06-07
Mysterious Elections
Several complaints were written in Samtskhe-Javakheti
region during the municipal elections on May 30, 2010. The Human Rights
Center collected data about the ongoing situation in the polling
stations throughout the region; the center found out how active the
voters were and what the observers said about the elections.
2010-06-07
Labor Party, Conservative Party and Party “Freedom” Join Requests of the Public Orthodox Movement
“I am also Orthodox! Come and arrest me!!!” – Public
Orthodox Movement (POM) organized a demonstration-briefing at the office
of the Liberty Institute on June 3. Their main requests were the
release of their members, who were arrested on May 7, and the
abolishment of the Liberty Institute.
2010-06-07
Adventure of the “Landing Party” Sent to Lagodekhi District
I observed the municipal elections in the polling station of the Kabali village in Lagodekhi district. My first complaint, written at the PS # 18 on the violation of ballot procedures, caused noise. “Do not write complaint! You are irresponsible person. He is captious. Don’t you know other places except Kabali; why have you come only here?” – the chairperson of the polling station Adalat Sardarov was shouting at me. The first complaint was followed by second, third, fourth and finally I wrote 16 complaints only at that polling station.2010-06-04
“If You Do not Stop, Your Father Will Lose Priest Parish”
On May 30, representatives of the Human Rights Center
and Transparency International –Georgia observed the municipal
elections in several villages of Shida Kartli. The observers actively
worked in the village of Didi Ateni, Tiniskhidi, Pkhvenisi, Nikozi and
Variani polling stations from the early morning.
2010-06-04
“Government Improved Methods of Election Rigging”
2010 municipal elections have become topic of urgent discussions from the very beginning. Despite that, today in Kutaisi, like entire Georgia, the ruling party celebrates the victory. The government assessed the municipal elections as a step towards the democracy like all previous elections. The voters (not to say anything about the opposition parties) have different opinion; they think the reality is completely different – the elections were carried out through serious violations in the country and Kutaisi was not exception at all.2010-06-03
Government Terrorizes Private Owners
Nodar Begiashvili is a main character of the
investigation movie of the Studio “Monitor”. The journalistic
investigation tells the story about illegal deprivation of the space of
“Parmakon 11” Ltd from the owner of the chemists. The owner of the
Parmakon 11 Ltd encountered problems with the Tax Department after the
share-holders of the chemist withdrew their shares from the Ltd. Tax
Inspection considered it was a new supply of the goods, or a repeated
purchase and imposed tax of 342480,6 GEL over the only owner of the
chemists Nodar Begiashvili.
2010-06-03
It Is Impossible to Ignore Video-Proofs of the Human Rights Center
Video-recordings about rigged elections
and violations presented by the Human Rights Center at the special
press-conference attracted the attention of the international
organizations and diplomatic corps. After the video-proofs about
shameful violations were spread, the Central Election Commission (CEC)
ordered the Sagarejo district election commission to discuss those
video-recordings. District Election Commission (DEC) decided to annul
election results at two polling stations. However, on the previous day,
the DEC refused the Human Rights Center to satisfy their complaints and
to accept the video-proofs.
2010-06-03
“Throw These Observers Away from Here!” Parody of Elections in Ganmukhuri
Ganmukhuri is a beautiful village located close to the
administrative border with Abkhazia. Although the municipal elections
were more or less calm in Samegrelo region, there was noise and disorder
in Ganmukhuri village from the early morning on May 30.
2010-06-02
Military Servants from Other Regions Voted for the Single Mandate Candidate in Rustavi at the So-called Close Polling Stations
On May 30, we were waiting for the permission to enter the polling station # 87 in Rustavi for one and half hour. It was so-called closed polling station which was located in the territory of the prison # 2 in Mshenebli Street, Rustavi. 2010-06-02
Government Misappropriated Votes of Akhalgori District Residents
“What shall I do? If I do not go to Tserovani to mark number 5, they will take the cottage from me,” complained the resident of Akhalgori district before the municipal elections. “Unless you come and mark number 5, we will send you to Russians,” the IDPs settled in Tserovani village were told by the members of the National Movement. Representative of the Alliance for Georgia Gocha Gabrielashvili stated in his interview with the humanrights.ge that drunken member of the ruling party kicked the observer out of the PS. He said the village councilors and governors carried out election procedures in Tserovani.2010-06-01
“Besh-Besh” Was Still Heard in Azeri Villages
It was a bit calm in the polling station # 48 in the
village of Tulari in Sagarejo district from the morning. However, in the
afternoon a chain of violations started. The commission chairperson
allowed several voters to take part in the elections without IDs. After I
noted about the violation, the chairperson told me that it was no
problem; the voter had left the ID at home and he could vote without
document since he lived far from the PS.
2010-06-01
Elections 2010 in Kakheti Region and Literature Styles: Drama, Epos, Lyrics
International observers were particularly satisfied with
the work of the district and precinct election commissions during the
municipal elections of May 30, 2010. They said, “The municipal elections
were carried out without violations at high professional level. The
observers of the Human Rights Center make different evaluations. They
said “it was shameful elections which can be called anything but
elections,” Elections and Drama – “they are getting on nerves of the
commission members.”
2010-06-01
Foreign Observers about the Municipal Elections: “Even Though Formally the Elections Followed Democratic Procedures, Democracy Is not Really in Place in Akhalkalaki.”
(Akhalkalaki, 31 May) A delegation composed of two representatives of the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and one from the Austrian Helsinki Association, registered as local observers with the Georgian Human Rights Center in Tbilisi, and observed elections in the southern Javakheti region in the period 29 to 31 May.
2010-06-01
Karajala – Besh, Besh and Khinkali at the Polling Station
“Besh, Besh (Five in Azerbaijan language) was heard at
the polling stations # 38 and # 39 in Karajala village all day long.
The observer of the Human Rights Center Tamar Kviriashvili monitored
the election procedures at the polling stations during 18 hours on May
30, 2010 (see photo 1,2,3).
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?