New Vector

Giorgi Janelidze

With the initiative of the international organization World Doctors – France and Global Foundation, and with financial support of the Open Society Georgia Foundation and the European Union, a new drop-in center was presented in the non-governmental organization New Vector on February 17, 2012.

The New Vector is the first self-organization of drug-addicts in Georgia and South Caucasus. Hepa Plus – self-organization of the patients with Hepatitis C also functions within the Center. Drug-addicts can receive free sterile injection materials, dentist and psycho-therapist service as well as medical consultation of a general profile doctors in the Drop-in Center. The beneficiaries are tested on HIV infection, Hepatitis B and C and on syphilis. The service is confidential for them. The mobile monitoring group of the Human Rights House Tbilisi visited the New Vector and studied the problems of the beneficiaries in that/the place. They found an unusual environment there. People support and help each other to overcome difficulties. They do their best to defeat drug-addiction. “The main problem is that just “reasonable doubt” is necessary to test a person on drug-addiction,” one of the beneficiaries said. He represents the Georgian Network of Drug-Addicts, which unifies seven community organizations of drug-addicts. The network has about 300 members throughout the country.

The network members protest the state policy: “Our first large-scaled event was dedicated to the problem when citizens are massively taken to narcological dispensary for testing by MIA officers,” one of the beneficiaries said.

Besides some other problems, drug-addicts complain about strict punishment measures for the possession of small amount of narcotics. 

In accordance to the Article 260 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, possession of any amount of narcotics is criminal offence. The law does not differentiate drug-addicts and drug dealers from each other, neither light nor serious narcotic substances either. In accordance to the Article 260, produce, purchase-possession or realization of small amount of narcotics, its analogue or precursors is punishable by imprisonment up to 11 years; in the case of particularly large amount of narcotics (if heroine, more than 1 gram), the person will be punished with the imprisonment from 8 to 20 years, or with life imprisonment. However, the same law imposes imprisonment from 4 to 6 years for rape and imprisonment from 7 to 15 years for premeditated murder.  

The law does not clearly define the amount of narcotic substances. The Parliament’s 2003 resolution, which defines the amounts of narcotic and psychotropic substances, does not give clarifications about small amount of some substances. Possession of those substances with any amount can be considered as large amount and possessors might receive high punishment. 

The lawyer of the Human Rights Center and the member of the mobile group of monitors, Eka Kobesashvili, evaluated the situation of beneficiaries of the New Vector: “These people face problems every day. Law enforcement officers systematically arrest them and take them to narcological dispensaries- for drug-tests. Much time and state resources are wasted in vain.”

The non-governmental organization New Vector was founded in 2006. The purpose of the organization was to provide drug-addicts with essential support. Those people understand each other’s problems best of all; thus the outcome of their work is more effective