Judge Natia Buskadze Visited the “Death Zone” on the Tbilisi Sea

On March 29, Judge Natia Buskadze of the Administrative Panel at the Tbilisi City Court examined the surrounding territory of the so-called waterfall on the Tbilisi Sea, where Aragvi River joins the Tbilisi Reservoir.

On July 16 2018, Campaign “Swim Safe” was launched with the initiative of Ana Dolidze, Human Rights Center, CENN and Progress Center.

The surrounding territory of the so-called waterfall is one of the most risky zones of the Georgian water bodies. According to the MIA, several people drowned there in the past years; among them were young people. 

Human Rights Center defends the interests of the families, whose members drowned in the Tbilisi Sea and represent them in the Tbilisi City Court against the Tbilisi City Hall and the water distribution company GWP. 

Applicants – Aleko Tskitishvili (executive director of Human Rights Center) and Maka Tsiklauri request the Tbilisi City Hall to arrange adequate security measures near the waterfall – to arrange solid barriers, install surveillance cameras, warning banners, etc. GWP is also defendant in the court dispute in the compensation part of the complaint. Emergency Situations Management Agency is the third party of the trial. 

Judge Natia Buskadze examines the case in the administrative panel of the Tbilisi City Court. She satisfied the solicitation of the HRC lawyer to personally examine the “death zone”

of the Tbilisi Sea to objectively evaluate the situation on the place and pass well-grounded fair judgment. The judge asked questions to the parties and received information from them on the place. 

Initiators of the Campaign Swim Safe call on the Government to timely take concrete steps to ensure safety of citizens on water bodies. Artificially arranged recreation zones create particular problems, where rescue teams cannot ensure safety of citizens. The places, where swimming is prohibited are particularly dangerous, but the State and private companies have not protected them with solid barriers and often, there are no warning banners either. 

Human Rights Center