Web Portal on Human Rights in Georgia
ARTICLES
2010-10-18
Ethnic Abkhaz Person Disappeared in Khurcha
The Human Rights Center (HRIDC) reports that on October
9, 2010 45-year-old ethnic Abkhaz Gari Kopua disappeared after crossing
the administrative border in the village of Khurcha supposedly by
Georgian law enforcement officers; he crossed the border by his car.
The witnesses allege that he crossed border in order to deliver the
luggage of the local residents. However, Georgian border officers
detained him.
2010-10-18
Relatives of Vano Merabishvili Misappropriated Property worth Several Million
After the Rose Revolution Nodar Sakuashvili used to host
president Saakashvili in Kakheti region. Mikheil Saakashvili used to
take honorable guests to his house in Saniore during many years. Nodar
Sakuashvili became a privileged businessman during the current
authority; mostly it was attributed to the relation between the
families of his sister and the minister of internal affairs of Georgia
Vano Merabishvili. After the death of Nodar Sakuashvili the relatives
of Merabishvili misappropriated almost entire property of Sakuashvili.
2010-10-15
Villages in Water
47 families in the village of Bogdanovka in Sagarejo
district (Kakheti region) live in unbearable conditions. The basements
and ground floors of their houses have been flooded for several years
already. The local population has made draining-channels in their
houses in order to save their houses from flooding. 10 houses were
flooded in the village of Kurdghelauri in Telavi district too. The
victims pour away the water from their rooms in turn day and night.
2010-10-15
IDPs Dissatisfied with the Quality of the Rehabilitated Houses
As a result of the donors’ conference, 81, 9 million GEL
was to be spent on the rehabilitation of the temporary accommodations
of the IDPs out of the allocated 4, 55 billion USD. The Municipal
Development Fund of Georgia selected the companies as a result of the
competition. Like in the entire Georgia, the problems of IDPs are
endless in Samegrelo region too.
2010-10-13
State Funds Sacrificed to the Football Passion of the Regional Governor and City Mayor
The public officials travel abroad several times a year
and they spend funds from the state budget during their trips. The
society does not often know the purpose of their travelling. The Human
Rights Center (HRIDC) tried to study this problem in Kvemo Kartli
region. We requested public information about the official visits of
the regional governor Davit Kirkitadze, Rustavi City Mayor Mamuka
Chikovani and chairman of the Rustavi city council Kakha Gurgenidze in
foreign countries.
2010-10-13
Separatists Collected Signatures in Akhalgori District for Geneva Negotiations
On October 8-9, Akhalgori district de-facto
administration collected signatures of the district residents for the
Geneva discussions. An official from the de-facto administration
reported to us they had received similar directives from Geneva. They
should attach those signatures to the appeal of Akhalgori district
population to the government of Georgia to re-supply them with gas. The
de-facto authority of South Ossetia will send the appeals to the
presidents of Georgia, the USA and Russia as well as to Eduard Kokoyti
and the co-chairpersons of the Geneva negotiations.
2010-10-13
Statement of the Non-Governmental Organizations
One More Example of “Zero Tolerance” and “Selective Justice”
Human Rights NGOs undersigned below express their
concern regarding the recent judgment of the Tbilisi City Court
sentencing 6 youngsters to 3 years and 4 months imprisonment for
hooliganism, the fact of which has not been established by reliable
evidence, and despite a number of elevating circumstances present in
the case. This comes as a particularly harsh sentence in comparison
with a pattern of sentences applied e.g., against law enforcement
officials who were found guilty of causing deprivation of citizens’
lives. Just to compare: for the murder of Buta Robakidze, 19, the
police officer was sentenced to a 4-year-imprisonment (in 2006) and the
murderers of Girgvliani, 27, did not even spend the 4 years in prison,
being pardoned by the President (in 2009).
2010-10-12
Eviction of More Than 5 000 IDPs Contradicted The International Norms
In summer of 2010, more than 5 000 IDPs were evicted
from the premises of compact settlement in contradiction to the
domestic legislation and international law. In several cases, the
alternative accommodation did not satisfy the minimal requirements of
normal living conditions. Several IDPs were not offered a new
accommodation or compensation at all.
2010-10-12
Suspect and Investigator in One Institution – Hammarberg’s Commission Surprised at Inactivity of the Investigation
Alan Khachirov, Aslan Khugaev and Soltan Pliev were last
seen on October 13, 2008. Ossetian side blames the Georgian authority
in kidnapping the three people. The investigation has been underway for
two years. The commission of the CoE Commissioner for Human Rights
Thomas Hammarberg concluded that the government of Georgia carries out
inefficient investigation. In addition to that, the main principle is
breached – the institution suspected in kidnapping is in charge to
investigate the fact.
2010-10-12
Family Without Social Accommodation Seeks Asylum in Russian Federation
Project “Social Accommodation in Nice Environment” aimed
to construct European style residential buildings for the socially
disabled people. Nowadays, 52 families live in similar residential
buildings in Tbilisi. Several beneficiaries, who were left beyond the
“list of the selected,” think that the houses were assigned unfairly.
The Kupravas expressed their discontent severely – they started
sedentary protest demonstration in front of the former building of the
Russian Embassy and requested asylum from the government of Russia.
2010-10-11
Passengers of the Missed Train
Debates in “Boell Foundation” On the Draft of Constitution
On October 6th, public discussion was held in Heinrich
Boell Foundation on the topic – “Current Constitutional Reform in Georgia.”
Moderator Mindia Ugrekhelidze started out with a rhetoric question: “If
the current constitution is bad and is changed with new, it should have
been changed with better one and if so, why should we wait till 2013
for it to enter into force?! And if the constitution enters force in
2013, why do we want to adopt it in expedited way?!”
2010-10-11
Police Officers Beat Director of the Local TV-Company in Stalin Square
After the TV-Company “Trialeti” dedicated most part of
its news time to the re-transmitting of the programs of the TV-Company
“Maestro” and talk-show “Hot Line”, the journalists and founders of the
TV-Company became victims of various oppressions. The last incident
occurred on October 7, 2010 in Gori center in front of the TBC bank in
Stalin square. The director general of the TV-Company John Nanetashvili
was ruthlessly beaten by the patrol police officers in public.
2010-10-11
“You have Right to Request Public Information!”
Last week, the world celebrated international day of
freedom of information. Though lightly, it was celebrated in Georgia as
well. Georgian Young Lawyers Association Kutaisi branch met this date
with a report. GYLA is almost the only organization in Kutaisi often
addressed by citizens for assistance with requesting the information
from different departments.
2010-10-08
Lost Crew
Giorgi Romelashvili, Zaza Birtvelashvili and Otari
Sukhitashvili were members of the same tank crew. All three of them
were lost on August 8th of 2008. The tank #406 is lost as well.
Hammerberg Commission thinks that the investigation should continue.
2010-10-08
Hammerberg Is not Satisfied with the Work of Ministry of Internal Affairs and Vice Versa
South Ossetia de-facto government names 140 ethnic
Ossetians to be missing. The representatives of South Ossetia de-facto
President and a public defender, Davit Sanakoev state that this number
includes not only those lost after the 2008 August war but all the lost
people between 1989 and 2008.
2010-10-08
Givi Berikashvili’s Relative is Sentenced with Preliminary Imprisonment
Tbilisi City Court Judge Vazha Pukhashvili passed
sentence of preliminary imprisonment as a compulsory measure against
individual undertaker of LLC “Kidobani” Nino Lortkipanidze, a relative
of actor Givi Berikashvili. Nino Lortkipanidze is one of the 18
individual undertakers the case of compulsory measure of whose was
discussed on October 7th by the judge Pukhashvili.
2010-10-07
Residents of Potskhoetseri Urge for Help
An IDP from Abkhazia Madona Vekua lived in the building
for compact settlement in Tbilisi. Two months ago, she was internally
displaced once more – the ministry of the IDPs from the occupied
territories, refugees and accommodation resettled her from the former
building of the Russian military base to Potskhoetseri settlement in
Samegrelo region. Madona Vekua complains about her health. There are no
conditions to take medical treatment in Potskhoetseri. There is not
even a hospital there.
2010-10-07
Where Did “Sandra’s Buses” Disappear?
Zviad Khmaladze Is Selling Out Municipal Transportation
LLC “Gortransavto,” which was seized from its owner Guja
Berikashvili by the local government, is being urgently sold out on the
auction today. Why is the enterprise concerning which the court made
decisions beneficial for its previous owner being sold?! Guja
Berikashvili doesn’t want to express his position on this issue. But, a
lot more interesting is the fact that Berikashvili himself might
participate in the auction. Practically, he will have to purchase his
enterprise for the second time.
2010-10-07
Clinton Renews Call for Russian Withdrawal From Georgia
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has renewed the U.S.
call for a withdrawal of Russian forces from Georgia under the accords
that ended the two countries' brief war in 2008.
2010-10-07
Roman Gventsadze: “I Like Vano Merabishvili but I Cannot Understand the Idea of the “Reasonable Doubt”
“Georgia has not had such a strong minister of internal
affairs since 1990s. Vano Merabishvili is the cleverest and strongest
person of all ministers I know; he is even better than I was -I once
said it and one oppositionist commented on my words: Roman Gventsadze
praises Merabishvili because he promoted his son and released his
grandson from prison. It is not correct. My son still occupies the same
position and my grandson is still in prison,” said former minister of
internal affairs of Georgia Roman Gventsadze who likes the current law
enforcement system though he does not avoid criticizing of the mistakes
too.
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?