Human Rights Violated in the Custom’s Office of Lagodekhi

Human Rights Violated in the Custom’s Office of Lagodekhi

Despite staff changes in custom’s office of “Lagodekhi” - the Check Point, the customers are still strictly violating human rights and customs law. Last week, the shiftman Giorgi Savshiashvili, abused Ramila Gambarova both verbally and physically. She is from Azerbaijan and lives in Lagodekhi district. The victim was given first medical aid in local hospital.

As the eyewitnesses said to the “Human Rights Centre”, the customers who followed the instructions of Financial Police did not allow the citizens to import green haricot from Azerbaijan and the police confiscated their goods. “The burning indignation caused by the behavior of the police soon turned into physical and verbal abuses and bustle. The situation aggravated after the shiftman Giorgi Shavshiashvili slandered the Azeri woman. Moreover, he beat her to death. The offended woman became unconscious and fell down on the ground. One of the customers standing nearby tried to assist her, as he turned out to be a physician by profession. However, soon the ambulance was called” – we were told by the eyewitnesses hiding their identities for avoiding extra problems.

“When we arrived at the custom’s office, the woman was lying on the ground being fainted, she was still unconscious. We tried to get closer to the victim but the people did not allow us. They said that the woman had her own doctor who would take care of her. However, the patient who later turned out to be pregnant was cured in regional hospital”.
- announced Davit Ghonghadze the doctor of Medical Emergency service in Lagodekhi.

According to the information given by Mikheil Bozhadze, Deputy Chief of LTD “Lagodekhi Region Healthcare”, while giving her First Aid, the doctors made diagnosis of her nervous breakdown. “She was not injured, but as for her pregnancy we can say nothing” – announced Mikheil Bozhadze.

Givi Skhiladze, chief of the Custom’s Check-Point -“Lagodekhi” does not confirm the fact of Ramila Gambarova’s insult. According to his words nobody has ever abused that woman. “In the evening 4 buses arrived from Azerbaijan. There were 100 passengers in the them. They were carrying vegetables. According to the law, the physical person is allowed to export without taxation only luggage containing 5 kilos of goods, which costs 200 laris. But it must be mentioned that the luggage containing more than 5 kilos is must be taxed. The citizens asked for the advantage, however, it caused a great aggression. A bit later they started demonstration, meanwhile Gambarova became sick”, - says Sklhiladze.

As for Gambarova herself, she does not make any comments regarding the fact. According to the information spread, she was oppressed and intimidated that she would be led into the trouble in case of bringing the suit against them.

As we have been informed, the criminal case has been launched in the court. Archil Shaburishvili, the head of Police Department of Lagodekhi neither refuses the fact nor confirms it.

It must be taken into consideration that the there are other people who reveal the customers’ behavior as being shameful. “There is nothing to say about the verbal abuse from the customers, they even dared to beat and injure us physically. They call us to be dishonored and disgraced women. They are using bad language like - “You are prostitutes selling yourself on 10 laris”. Most of us are educated and literate but hard social conditions induced us to go and bring food - vegetables from Azerbaijan, cause it is cheaper there. The customers are especially antagonistic towards the people from Azerbaijan” – publicize citizens and they make threats about the permanent demonstrations in case of non fulfillment of the problem.

Gela Mtivlishvili from Kakheti