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Members of the “Egalitarian Institute” Are Not Going to Surrender

November 16, 2007

Jaba Jishkariani, a member of the “Egalitarian Institute”: “The representatives of our regional offices are threatened with physical assault. On November 8, Gocha Badzgaradze, the head of our Kutaisi office was kidnapped from the entrance of his own house; and on November 9, the house of Ilia Chachibaia, the head of the Zugdidi Office, was raided. After that, the members of the National Movement (Georgia’s leading party) called him several times and threatened him with physical assault. On November 8, Levan Gogichaishvili, a member of the Egalitarian Institute was called from number 895 603543 all day long and threatened with physical assault as well. In addition, I have been called from private telephone numbers the past few days and they threaten me with death.”

Jaba Jishkariani said that on November 8 at 12:00 PM, three policemen searched his house without any warning or explanation. They took a megaphone. The search continued on the same day at 7:00 PM and the next day too.

Jishkariani also said that on November 13 policemen broke into the house of his friend Misha Meskhi, who is a student of Tbilisi State University and his brother and father were detained.

“Policemen of the Mtatsminda-Krtsanisi district department came to my house; they were ordered to do so by Irakli Kipshidze, the head of the department. He is a close friend of Vano Merabishvili, Minister of Internal Affairs, and everybody knows about it. In addition, I have information that I, as a person, was discussed at the Ministry. An official of the Ministry, Irakli Kadagidze, suspected of murdering Zurab Vazagashvili, said: “We have to get rid of him. He is a young energetic man and he might cause serious problems for us.” I learned about this conversation from one of the policemen. He let me listen to a secret recording of the conversation on his phone.”

Gocha Badzgaradze, the head of the Kutaisi Office of the “Egalitarian Institute.” “In the morning of November 8, having left the house, a red car crossed the street in front of me. Four masked people, dressed in military uniforms, got out of the car and pushed me in. They started to beat me and took me to the cemetery located alongside the Tskaltubo-Kutaisi motor-way. They tied up my hands and legs and kicked me. After they got tired from beating me, they left me at the cemetery.”

Ilia Chachibaia, the director of the Zugididi office of the “Egalitarian Institute” said that he has become an IDP in his own country and was deprived of his right to free movement. Active persecution on him started on October 30. Chachibaia left Zugdidi before the briefing where he planned to name the policemen and the activists of the National Movement who had taken part in the dispersal of the demonstrators on October 28 in Zugdidi. Other members of the “Egalitarian Institute” advised him to leave the city in order to avoid up-coming problems.

Chachibaia was sure that he would be detained or kidnapped after those threats. He blames Tengiz Gunava, the head of the Regional Police Department and Zaza Gorozia, the Regional Gubernator, for the pressure put on him.

“Since November 7 the persecution on me became particularly active. Lado Kartskhava, Gela Toloraia and other members of the National Movement called me very often and threatened me. Later, I was threatened in the name of Roland Akhalaia, the Samegrelo Zemo Svaneti Regional Prosecutor, and Tengiz Gunava over the phone. They ordered me to go to Zugdidi and they threatened me with physical assault. In the evening of November 9, they broke into my house and smashed the windows. The people, hired by the National Movement, beat my friend instead of me. Now I cannot go to Zugdidi, my own city. I am wanted, but not officially; the police are looking for me because of personal reasons. They cannot forgive me that I named the people who took part in the dispersal of the demonstration in Zugdidi. In addition, I loudly stated that the Samegrelo Zemo-Svaneti Regional Prosecutor bribed activists with 200 lari to disperse the demonstration.”

The Human Rights Center tried to get in touch with the people who were accused of threatening by the members of the Egalitarian Institute. As for the phone number Jaba Jishkariani mentioned, it is switched to an automatic answer saying the subscriber does not allow unknown incoming calls.

Toloraia, who was mentioned by Chachibaia, said he has gotten tired of the accusations made by Chachibaia. “I have never dealt with members of the Egalitarian Institute”. I deny all accusations made against me. I have never been in contact with Chachibaia, you can check this information.”

Nugzar Mghebrishvili, deputy of Roland Akhalaia, also denies the accusations made against the Prosecutor and said: “Such events have never occurred. I do not know such a person at all.”

Jaba Jishkariani claims that the members of the Egalitarian Institute will never get afraid. “We are not going to surrender. As soon as the state of emergency is lifted we will renew our fight with more force. Next week Irakli Kakabadze, who is arriving from America on Thursday morning, will also join us. We are going to hold permanent demonstrations; the main aim is to get rid of Saakashvili and his criminal gang for ever. Of course, we will achieve our aim through constitutional elections. I will state once more that they are murderers and criminals. We have exposed several people who were heading the dispersal of the demonstration on November 7. We have information a famous businessmen gave five thousand lari to each riot policeman to disperse our Georgian demonstrators,” said Jishkariani.

Nino Tarkhnashvili, Tbilisi 

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