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Police Dismantled Tents Set Up by Iranians in Protest

June 2, 2011

Two Iranian persons seeking shelter –Omid Esmaeil Zadehy and Esmaeil E. Pashabaig – launched a protest in front of the UNHCR Tbilisi Office on May 31. They set up tents on the pavement in the Aleksandre Kazbegi Avenue, near the UNHCR office and said they were going to spend that night in the tents.

Iranians requested the UNHCR to double their monthly rent – 100 GEL – and immediately resettle them to the third country, to the Great Britain.

Several minutes after they started the manifestation, police officers arrived at the place and requested them to remove tents –warning unless they obeyed their requests, they would destroy the tents. The protesters did not remove their tents despite the order from the police.

The police officers ironically spoke with them and used xenophobic statements in regard with them. They underlined their ethnic belonging, hygiene, etc. The police officer recalled the Georgian history when speaking with the monitor of the Human Rights Center: “They have seized our territories and now they are coming and asking us for something.”

Despite warning the Iranian people did not remove the tents. So, as a result, the police officers kicked the tent and destroyed it.

Although the protesters remained without tent, they continued protest near the UNHCR office and intend to stay there for the next one month.

Nino Andriashvili, the Human Rights Center’s lawyer, said unless a citizen has permission from the City Hall to set up a tent anywhere in the city, the police can dismantle the tent.

Nevertheless, coarseness, inhuman treatment and xenophobia are not the best traits of Georgian police officers.

Ana Apkhazava

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