The Non-Governmental Sector Demands that the Government Stops Pressuring

The Non-Governmental Sector Demands that the Government Stops Pressuring

Nino Rodonaia, Radio Liberty, February 8th, 2006

Another non-governmental organization blames the Georgian government for its attempts to pressurize the sector.

‘The Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre’ believes that the Ministry of Internal Affairs interest in its activities has no legal basis; the only purpose for such official interest is to stop the organization from carrying out its lawful activities.

The civil sector demands an immediate end to such violations and asks the government to protect the rights and principles that it proclaims to uphold. Acts such as the pressure placed upon the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre, leads people to doubt that the government is living up to is rhetoric. 

At the beginning of February, a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs visited the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre, not in order to seek help to protect his rights, but instead ‘to get to know about the activities of the organization in general’. Ucha Nanuashvili, the head of the Human Rights Information and Documentation Center was summoned to go to the ministry for an interview on Tuesday. Nanuashvili then applied to local, national and international organizations and organized a special press conference on Wednesday. According to Nanuashvili, Major Tengiz Tkebuchava of the Counter Terrorism Department at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, called him and informed that the head of the department, Gia Gabunia, wanted to have a talk with him.

Ucha Nanuashvili stated: “We cannot accept the tone the government uses, especially with non-governmental organizations. These soviet methods, when there is a call summoning a representative of a non-governmental organization, demanding they come to an interview, without any warning or prior agreement, are unacceptable to us.”

The Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre requested that the Ministry of Internal Affairs send an official document clarifying the reasons why Nanuashvili had been summoned to the ministry and whether a criminal case is to be made against him. According to the verbal response, no case was to be made against him and they only wanted to know about the Centre’s activities, such as what kind of support is given to whom and how this is provided by the organization, as well as what information it disseminates.

The head of the Young Lawyers Association, Anna Dolidze, explained that the act conducted by the ministry does not have any legal grounds:
“One cannot be accused so easily. First of all, an investigation should be in progress and notification sent and received. After this, if there is an interrogation, a person is obliged to undertake it. It seems that they did not present any reasons or procedural grounds. That is why I think that this was an attempt to hold an unofficial meeting with Ucha Nanuashvili, to give him certain directions and show him who he is dealing with.”

Non-governmental organizations, that have recently created a coalition, do not exclude the fact that the government’s interest may be connected with the report ‘Next Stop-Belarus?’ which reveals the real human rights situation in Georgia.
The critical report was published a few days ago by the Centre. The head of the organization claims that these new attempts to pressurize are a continuation of the current trend:

Ucha Nanuashvili states: “This continues the scenario that has already started in Georgia and has affected other organizations. There was certainly pressure on the “Young Lawyers Association” and “Former Political Prisoners – For Human Rights”. There should be a reaction to this. None of the organizations can feel safe or secure that they will not undergo the pressure that we or Young Lawyers Association have experienced.”

This position is supported by the coalition of non-governmental organizations, which is preparing a new appeal because of the pressure placed upon the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre. However, Anna Dolidze, the head of the Young Lawyers Association, states that NGOs will not be able to achieve any results without society’s participation:

“An attack on the Association was just the start. We were sure that similar acts would continue to be carried out, because it is an attempt to subordinate not just certain NGOs, but the whole sector. Today, we see the second step taken by the government. I think we should take serious and vivid steps in order to avoid such acts being repeated.”

The Coalition of Non-Governmental Organizations advised the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre to demand clarification and an explanation of the case from the Ministry of Internal Affairs by means of an official letter. Based on the results of this procedure, the coalition will seek to widen the debate surrounding the issue.

http://www.tavisupleba.org/special/politics/2006/02/20060208051458.asp