“Naughty IDPs”

Goga Utiashvili, director of the resort Akhtala addressed the police with the request of IDP eviction. Resort Akhtala is a state enterprise. The head of Gurjaani police Levan Bitskinashvili warned the IDPs about the eviction from Akhtala owned buildings on July 8th of 2010 and gave them 5 days for leaving the place. This term was expired on July 15th. In the eviction that started in the morning the police from almost all districts of Kakheti region participated – 169 policemen in total. The eviction was headed by the head of Kakheti police Davit Kokiashvili. Police officials threw away the mattresses, wardrobes and other objects from the windows.

Police had permission on the eviction of IDPs from the Ministry of IDPs from the Occupied Territories, Refugees and Accommodation. The Ministry was offering the IDPs an alternative residence place in the villages of Bakurtsikhe and Lagodekhi of Gurjaani region. However, 40 families declined the Ministry’s offer due to the fact that their living conditions would be inadequate there.

After the eviction, IDPs from Abkhazia addressed the public defender of Georgia, representative of UN High Commission of Refugees, the Ministry of Refugees and Accommodation, opposition political parties, but in vain.

Dodo Nemsitsveridze, an IDP: “I live in a family of a person who I did not know before. A kind and godly person gave me a shelter. I cannot pay rent. The only income I have is my pension – 90 GEL and that is not enough for medicaments. Why did they evict me? That building is still empty. Nobody saw me after the eviction. The main thing was to kick us out.”

Nanuli Chaladze, an IDP: “I live in my friend’s house. But how long can I stay here? They are not here right now. When they come back, where can I go? I am a sick pensioner. I do not have anything… no medicaments, no humanitarian help. We were not even given vouchers. When we called a Ministry official Chkhonia, he said we deserved this treatment. Why? Because we did not obey them and refused to go to Bakurtsikhe? We do not want Bakurtsikhe. We will starve to death there. There is no job for us there. Here we go to the market and at least buy bread. It costs 2 GEL to come to Gurjaani from Bakurtsikhe. How can I live there?”

Marekh Metreveli, an IDP: “I did not go to Bakurtsikhe because I have a sick child. Here he goes to special school. I cannot move him to Bakurtsikhe. I live under rent. Nobody pays us attention. Nobody even asks where and how we live. They did not even give us any vouchers. We can no longer pay rent. We cannot endure this situation anymore. I do not know what will happen to us. When we call the Ministry, they tell us that we are naughty IDPs.”

The IDPs from Abkhazia are requesting financial compensation from the government for purchasing apartments.

The Georgian Ministry of IDPs, Refugees and Accommodation did not comment on the issues of “naughty IDPs.”

On February 28th, the Ministry disseminated a statement stating that the so-called compensation topic has been exhausted and the distribution of residence places in the regions is taking place.

“The state is providing residence places for IDPs. As for the 10 000 US dollar (equivalent in GELs) compensation money as an alternative to residence places, this activity has been completed considering that this is not a compensation for loss, but an alternative for the cottages and is used as an alternative to eviction. It was envisaged only for those families of IDPs who were displaced as a result of the Russian Federation armed attack on August 6, 2008 and who had some savings and could buy residence places adding the state compensation. The families of IDPs who do not have residence places and are left homeless will be given the residence places in the regions of Georgian under the condition of ownership transfer. We are hoping that the individuals without residence place will address the Ministry and receive the state offered residence places in the regions. Of course we mean the families who do not have residence places, in other words homes,” – states the Ministry.

One of the IDPs evicted from the sanatorium of resort Akhtala Marine Benidze addressed the Ministry with the request of residence place in September of last year. “I addressed them but they are not providing an apartment for me in Bakurtsikhe. They are asking me to wait. More than half of a year has been passed. They have several rooms, but are not giving them. They are probably punishing me as a “naughty IDP.” For a while I was refusing to move there. We are 9 in the family. My husband is ill. I talked to Chkonia, to Chikhviladze earlier, but in vain. First I lived under rent. Now I am staying at a friends’ home, but I do not know how long I will be there.”

Georgian Young Lawyers Association considers that the Ministry’s position on the “exhaustion of compensation topic” contradicts the following decrees of Georgian government, decree #915 of 2008, #534 issued on July 24th of 2009 and #856 issued on July 3rd of 2010 and violates the principle of equality to law.

“According to these decrees, the Georgian Ministry of IDPs from the Occupied Territories, Accommodation and Refugees should provide the compensation for the families left homeless as a result of 2008 August 6 Russian Federation’s military attack and who refused to receive the state purchase, rehabilitated and newly built residence places.” Also, according to the part 3, Article 4 of the General Administrative Code of Georgia “wherever circumstances of different cases are identical, judgements in regard to the persons involved shall be identical, except if there is a lawful ground for rendering a different judgement. Hence, the position acknowledged in the Ministry’s statement is unacceptable for us,” – noted GYLA.

GYLA calls on the Ministry to give financial compensation to the families of IDPs who are given this right according to the legislation.