Human Rights Center Condemns Persecution of Citizens Association with Charity Foundation “Komagi”

Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia continues mass interrogation of citizens who have applied to the charity foundation “Komagi” at different time.

Summoning of citizens to various divisions of the MIA, including the Constitutional Security Department [SCD] of the MIA [in the so-called Moduli office] started early in June. NGOs have already expressed their concern about the fact and protested violation of fundamental rights of interrogated people and condemned forcible delivery of citizens to the CSD office on June where they could not enjoy their right to defense and were interrogated for a long time; in several cases interrogation lasted 10 hours.

At 9:00 am on June 28, MIA officers again visited citizens at home who had applied to the charity foundation for help and summoned to interrogation. Controversial information is spread about number of summoned people. According to the Charity Foundation Komagi the summoned citizens are:

1. Giorgi Kakshia
2. Roza Janikashvili
3. Lili Khutiri
4. Amiran Sichinava
5. Giorgi Korkotashvili
6. Valerian Giorgadze
7. Vladimer Mirianashvili
8. Svetlana Gogokhia
9. Merab Kolbaia
10. Lali Jijavadze.

Information Center of Kakheti reports that former teacher of Kalauri village public school Tamar Amonashvili was summoned and interrogated as a witness at the Gurjaani police; “Komagi” foundation has transferred 177 USD to her.

Those people were summoned to various divisions of the MIA as witnesses in criminal cases. This time, NGOs could appoint lawyers for the summoned citizens. Lawyers of the Human Rights Center, Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, Article 42 of Constitution and Public Advocacy attended interrogation process.

Lawyer Nestan Londaridze of the HRC stated that her clients – Giorgi Kashia and Roza Janikashvili were interrogated about the accusation envisaged under Article 194 of the Criminal Code of Georgia. This accusation is not associated with the bribery of voter but with legalization of illegal income – so called “money laundering”.

Simultaneously, Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia released statement which reads that they discovered “a new scheme of voters’ bribery” where Vano Chkhartishvili, being abroad and his off-shore companies are involved.

Lawyer Shalva Shavgulidze of the Charity Foundation Komagi states representatives of Georgian Diaspora abroad transferred money to the summoned citizens. Namely, the Komagi’s council received applications of citizens and having discussed them the Council made decisions which applicant was to receive sums from the representatives of Georgian Diasporas abroad.

Shavgulidze said some of the summoned people have not even received money but pension account of one elderly person was sequestered. The accounts of all summoned citizens were also sequestered.

Human Rights Center is concerned and condemns persecution of citizens because of their applying to the charity foundation Komagi for help. Moreover, most of those citizens became victims of political oppression.

Human Rights Center calls upon the government, and Ministry of Interior in particular, to stop politically motivated persecution of citizens and respect their rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Georgia.

The Center appeals to the Public Defender of Georgia, international organizations and diplomatic corps accredited in Georgia to observe the persecution process of citizens associated with the Foundation Komagi and to respond to similar facts.

Human Rights Center
29.06.12