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Human Rights Defenders in Defense of Human Rights Defenders!

February 26, 2010

Ana Sheshaberidze

On February 26, human rights organizations in Georgia gave a pres-conference in the Public Defender’s Office and protested the launched smear campaign against them. Regional Manager of the Norwegian Human Rights House Anne Bonde also attended the press-conference; her assessments of the situation were particularly interesting for Georgian media. Anne Bonde also represents South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders.

It is noteworthy that campaign against Georgian human rights defenders in Georgian media outlets intensified from December 10, 2009 – the International Day of Human Rights. The first targets of the campaign were non-governmental organizations Human Rights Priority, Georgian Young Lawyers Association, head of Studio Reporter Vakhtang Komakhidze, the head of the “Union of Disabled Veterans and Wives of Fallen Soldiers” Manana Mebuke and conflict scientist Paata Zakareishvili.

At the press-conference, together with other facts of slander against human rights defenders, participants focused on the oppression on the founder of Multinational Georgia Arnold Stepanian. He was declared to be a spy of Russian Federation by Georgian media. Stepanian said a year ago he was threatened with accusing him in espionage if he had not stopped his activities. However, harassers had not decided then which country spy he was in Georgia.

Foreign human rights defender Anne Bonde was concerned about the oppression on Stepanian; she said according to her information other human rights organizations are also oppressed who work on conflict and minority issues. Bonde spoke about the oppression on Vakhtang Komakhidze and called upon the government of Georgia to stop similar facts; to ensure free and secure working environment for journalists and human rights defenders.

Anne Bonde: “Together with the South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders we will continue to raise these questions and inform Council of Europe, UN, EU and other international organizations in order to ensure the end of similar smear campaign.”

Head of GYLA Tamar Khidasheli is afraid that information campaign against human rights defenders is a part of large strategy and they are victims of this campaign.

At the press-conference NGOs made a statement where they listed the facts of slander. In the statement Georgian human rights defenders called upon the government of Georgia not to breach right to gathering, assembly, freedom of expression, transportation, fair trial and other fundamental rights of the non-governmental officials and human rights defenders. They reminded media outlets their professional obligations and called upon them to act in compliance with ethic standards in order not to breach the human rights and basic freedoms; they also requested the public defender to react on the situation.

You can read the full text of the statement on the following link.

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