Categories
Journalistic Survey
Articles
Reportage
Analitic
Photo Reportage
Exclusive
Interview
Foreign Media about Georgia
Editorial
Position
Reader's opinion
Blog
Themes
Children's Rights
Women's Rights
Justice
Refugees/IDPs
Minorities
Media
Army
Health
Corruption
Elections
Education
Penitentiary
Religion
Others

In Kakheti Prosecutor’s Office Attacks Non-Governmental Organizations

May 21, 2007

imedab.gifHaving harassed independent media sources, law enforcement bodies began attacking the NGOs in Kakheti region. Two days ago, the Telavi District Prosecutor’s Office arrested Imeda Lazariashvili, one of the coordinators for the local office of the “Center for Strategic Research and Development”. The Prosecutor’s Office blames the twenty-year-old graduate student for protecting the robbers. The non-governmental sector calls the situation urgent and urges the international organizations for help.(Photo:Imeda Lazariashvili)

Imeda Lazariashvili was a student in the Sociology Faculty at the Telavi Jacob Gogebashvili State University. In addition to that he works at the district office of the “Center for Strategic Research and Development”. Lazariashvili is the head of the Youth Union of the Kisiskhevi Community. On January 13, 2007, unidentified people robbed his office, taking computers and various things. A criminal case was launched by the Telavi Police Department. The investigator interrogated the office coordinator on February 8, 2007.

Last week, Eka Urushadze, the Executive Director of the Center for Strategic Research and Development, applied to the board of the Internal Ministry’s Kakheti Main Department to find out why the criminal case had remained uninvestigated for four months.  In the letter the head of the NGO expressed her concern regarding the indifference of the law enforcers and demanded them to take urgent measures to finish the investigation.

“It seems that the letter irritated the policemen and board of the Prosecutor’s Office. They could not imagine we would call them indifferent and demand something from them. On May 19 they arrested our representative Lazariashvili in protest and decided to charge him for retraction his initial testimony under the Georgian Criminal Code, Article 371'.

Lazariashvili demanded a lawyer. He is a disabled person; he has diabetes and needs to take special medicine twice a day. However, the Prosecutor’s Office did not take this fact into consideration. “Fortunately, the NGOs learned about his detention on time,” said Vakhtang Mosiashvili, the head of the Center for Strategic Researches and Development’s Telavi Office.

Lia Khuroshvili, lawyer for the Human Rights Center pointed out that there had been no reasons to charge Imeda Lazariashvili under the Criminal Code, Article 371. That particular article definitely states that a person could be charged for retraction of the initial testimony if the new statement seriously hinders the investigation. “Such a fact did not occur in Lazariashvili’s case. The Prosecutor’s Office punished the representatives of the NGO for their just demands,” said the lawyer.

Lela Taliuri, the head of the Georgian Young Lawyers Association’s Telavi Office, said that similar retribution by authorities has become too frequent in the region lately. “Offices of two NGOs were robbed in Telavi. Criminal cases were launched in both instances, though in vain. Last week, the indifference of the Prosecutor’s Office was criticized in a letter sent to them. Karlo Amirgulashvili, the head of the “Society of Naturalists” demanded the immediate and complete investigation of the robbery, but finally the investigation had some arguments with him. Unfortunately, the Prosecutor’s Office looks for the criminals in the NGOs and not outside,” said Taliuri.

Other NGOs also condemned the fact. They gathered at the Kakheti Regional Prosecutor’s Office soon after Lazariashvili’s detention and demanded the law enforcers explain the situation to them. In reply, representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office locked the door. Imeda Lazariashvili was released after the NGOs held the protest demonstration in front of the Prosecutor’s Office.

Giorgi Bokeria, the head of the “Association for Georgian Civil Education”: The fact was too unpleasant and caused serious concern. Any of us could be detained in order to silence us, to threaten us, or for some other reason. The organization had some problems because of Lazariashvili’s detention. Those young people who already cooperate or plan to cooperate with the organization might be threatened and refuse to join the NGO.

Tinatin Phkhovelishvili, chairwoman for the Center for Lawyers’ Development: “They have used similar methods with the editor of the Kakheti regional newspaper “Imedi” when the police tried to blame him for having raided the editorial office. We have no reason to remain quiet. We demand an explanation from the Prosecutor’s Office. We, representatives of the region based NGOs, state that we are being suppressed and urge international organizations for help.”

Despite several demands of the Human Rights Center’s Kakheti Office, representatives of the Internal Ministry’s Kakheti Main Department, the Telavi Prosecutor’s Office, nor the Telavi Police Department agreed to comment on the situation.

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

News