Ilia Beruashvili won trial against the National Agency of Public Registration

Lado Bitchashvili, Shida Kartli

Near the occupation line, in Ditsi village, resident of Berula settlement Ilia Beruashvili won trials against the National Agency of Public Registration in two instances of the court. The citizen and the state institutions had dispute over the registration of the land. The NAPR refused Ilia Beruashvili to register his plot because it was located on the occupied territory. Ilia Beruashvili sent several letters to the NAPR to verify that his land was not located on the occupation territory but it was in the Georgia controlled territory. 

“The NAPR states my plot is in the occupied territory based on the google map, which really shows that it is in the occupied territory. But in fact, the occupation line is after my plot,” Beruashvili said, who offered the NAPR representatives to arrive on the place and see the situation themselves, but they refused. Afterwards he appealed the court against the state institution. 

The Gori District Court passed judgment in favor of the applicant on May 16, 2018 and ordered the NAPR to register the agricultural plot located alongside the occupation line on the name of Ilia Beruashvili. The NAPR appealed the judgment in the Tbilisi Appellate Court instead enforcing it. Their representative stated at the trial in the Appellate Court that the state institution appealed the judgment because they need the ruling from the Supreme Court of Georgia over similar cases and consequently it will establish common practice. 

With June 6, 2019 judgement the Appellate Court upheld the decision of the Gori district court and ordered the NAPR to register the plot for Ilia Beruashvili. Human Rights Center defends rights of Ilia Beruashvili in the court. 

“The Tbilisi Appellate Court upheld the decision of the Gori district court and ordered the NAPR to register the plot as Ilia Beruashvili’s property. According to our information the Agency plans to appeal the Supreme Court of Georgia and ascertain that the disputed territory is occupied. We hope and believe that the Supreme Court will uphold the decisions of the first and second instances of the courts and the established precedent will assist the people living alongside the occupation line to have their property rights recognized by the State,” HRC lawyer Aleksi Merebashvili said.