IDPs from Abkhazia Are Being Evicted from the Former Building of Vocational College in Lagodekhi

IDPs from Abkhazia have been residing in the four rooms of former building of Vocational College in Lagodekhi for 15 years already. Yesterday, district governor and deputy governor of Kakheti region demanded them to leave the shelter.

The IDPs reported to the Human Rights Center that representatives of the local authority have offered alternative spaces in former boarding-school in Lagodekhi; the building was recently reconstructed and governmental officials promised the IDPs that the accommodations would be assigned on them as private properties. Unless the IDPs obey their orders, the local authority threatened them with under-force eviction.

The IDPs claim that internally displaced people from Shida Kartli were sheltered in the former building of boarding school after the August war in 2008. Besides that, the living conditions are unbearable there because water is leaking from the war and the rooms are wet.

Gia Gozalishvili, Lagodekhi district governor, denies the accusations of the IDPs. He said they had offered the IDPs from Abkhazia to move to other building but they refused. Nobody had threatened them with eviction.

Human Rights Center was informed that building of the vocational college is supposed to be sold. So, local officials hurry to empty the building from IDPs.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti