Ninotsminda Residents Appealing to European Court of Human Rights

Sopo Getsadze

The Center of Environmental Law submitted the complaint of sufferers of oil eruption in Ninotsminda to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg on May 17th. As the Center states this is the first complaint sent to the ECHR concerning the ecology problems in Georgia.

The ecologists are appealing against the decision of Tbilisi Civil Court. The court did not render the request of the sufferers of the oil eruption regarding the material compensation of the population. The request of the applicants on the expert examination was also rejected.

The lawyer of the Center of Environmental Law Nikoloz Mzhavanadze stated at the press conference, that the applicants are requesting protection under the articles 6 and 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights – right to fair trial and right to respect private life.

The leader of Green Party Gia Gachechiladze thinks that ECHR will satisfy the complaint and Tbilisi Civil Court will be forced to issue material compensation to the sufferer.

The resident of Ninotsminda Zaira Bedoidze states that the death rate has increased as a result of the oil eruption: “According to our doctor, the number of people sick with oncologic diseases is higher compared to other villages.”

Moreover, Ninotsminda population suffered material damage. The oil company compensated only for one year of missed harvest.

The complaint to ECHR was sent on behalf of 2420 sufferers of oil eruption.

Oil erupted in Ninotsminda on September 10-12 of 2004 from the boring well of Canargo Georgia company. This catastrophe damaged the population of three villages – Ninotsminda, Gaghmaubani and Tskarostavi. The sufferers of the eruption are requesting 50 000 GEL for each resident.

The leadership of oil company Canargo Georgia assures that the accident in their boring well has not caused the diseases or the water pollution.

Giorgi Janelidze’s investigative film“Drilling Up and Down” regarding the environmental problems of Ninotsminda is available at the video portal www.hridc.tv of the Human Rights Center. This topic has been actively covered by humanrights.ge for several years.