Lecturers Fired from Telavi University as Political Payback

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

On the next day of the Parliamentary Elections on 21 May 2008 lecturers supporting the opposition parties were fired from the Telavi University. Hamlet Razmadze, the head of the University Administration, stated that Neli Tskitishvili, associated professor and head of the Rector’s Office, Archil Jorjadze, and the coordinator of the Legal Faculty resigned at their own initiative.

Before the elections the lecturers publicly stated that they had written resignation letters because of being threatened and politically repressed. Archil Jorjadze later gave a press conference in Telavi where he shared his personal account of political persecution. Although leading TV Companies recorded the press-conference, the event was not aired on TV, which may be politically motivated.

“Several days before the elections Levan Gachechiladze, Salome Zurabishvili, Koba Davitashvili, Pikria Chikhradze and other leaders of the united opposition met lecturers and students of the university in the hall of the Telavi University. Parna Makashvili, Imeda Kevlishvili, Davit Tushishvili and other activists of the National Movement rushed into the hall during the meeting and tried to obstruct with the event. They were threatening people attending the meeting and telling how they would make problems for them in the future.

Archil  Jorjadze

Gia Papunashvili, the head of the Telavi Election HQ of the ruling party and the director of the regional organization of the National Movement oppressed us.  He ordered me through a third person to write a resignation letter and go from the university but I refused. Then they threatened me with expulsion unless I resigned on my own accord; they even said that they would abolish the faculty at the university and that other lecturers will find themselves unemployed along with me. However, it did not end here, as there were some other methods of harassment. I was then threatened with the possibility of imprisonment, so I had little choice but to resign; and on May 13 I tendered my letter of resignation,” said Archil Jorjadze.

“I had cooperated with the United Opposition in parallel with my activities at the University; I am a lawyer for the election HQs of Pikria Chikhradze, the single mandate candidate from the United Opposition in Telavi. Consequently, I faced both psychological repression and blackmailedl and based on the situation I am applying to you with the request to discharge me from the position that I hold as the coordinator of the Legal Faculty. My presence in the University should not interfere with its activities,” states the resignation letter of Jorjadze.

Neli Tskitishvili wrote the resignation letter before the elections. She does not

Neli  Cqitishvili

deny that her decision resulted from political repression and she mentioned this fact in her letter of resignation that she wrote on May 8 2008. “I am a supporter of the opposition party and an active member of Pikria Chikhradze’s election HQ, and feel that I have been threatened by the university and its administration, as the current authority of my country cannot accept opposition opinions and free and fair elections. Feeling responsible to the university I am applying to you with the request to discharge me from the position as the head of the Rector’s Office and Public Relation Department of the University.”

Despite the context of the resignation letters, on May 22 2008 Hamlet Razmadze issued the resolutions # 171 and 172 according to which Tskitishvili and Jorjadze were discharged from their positions.  

-Mr. Hamlet Jorjadze and Tskitishvili outlined repression in their letters. In addition, Tskitishvili was the MP candidate on the list of the United Opposition.

-Neli Tskitishvili submitted a letter to the university rector on May 8 2008, and Archil Jorjadze sent a letter on May 13. Before elections, May 21, they had the opportunity to withdraw their letters but they chose not to do so.

-Did not you become interested in the kind of repression they were speaking about?
-We have not asked them to explain the situation. Nobody ordered the board of the university to fire those lectures.
Neli Tskitishvili and Archil Jorjadze applied to the Georgian Public Defender for help. The Ombudsman’s office started to investigate the alleged facts of repression.