Human Rights in Georgia, January 2000 (excerpts)
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Subject: Human Rights in Georgia, January 2000 (excerpts)
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Human Rights in Georgia, January 2000 (excerpts)
South Caucasian Human Rights Monitor
published by the Caucasian Institute for Peace, Development and
Democracy
with the help of the Winston Foundation for Peace
Editor: Emil Adelkhanov-Steinberg
Part 3
Human Rights in Georgia
January, 2000
- Presidential elections
- Aftermath of the parliamentary elections
- Indjia brothers to be tried
- The post of Ombudsman is still vacant
- Police brutality
- Lawlessness
- In penitentiaries
- Penitentiary reform
- Presidential pardoning
- Legislation
- Religious minorities and freedom of conscience
- Freedom of press
- Economic and social rights
- Echo of Chechnya
- Adjarian autonomy
- In and about Abkhazia
-------------------------
......................
Religious minorities and freedom of conscience
Two Jehovah Witnesses, Vladimir Begeluri and George Todua, were
battered in the Gldani district of Tbilisi on January 16, in their
words, by the fundamentalist parishers of Father Basil Mkalavishvili,
an unfrocked priest of the Georgian Orthodox Church. They complained
to the Gldani district police and procurator's office but to no
effect. Investigation of the October 17, 1999, beating of Jehovah
Witnesses (when 16 people were hospitalised, one of them - a woman -
lost her eye) has not been completed yet. On December 28, 1999, the
city police department handed the case over to the Gldani district
procurator's office, while the latter submitted it to the city
procurator's office on January 20, 2000. At present, it is again in
the Gldani district procurator's office.
CIPDD
The Christian Liberal Party demanded to create a special police force
to fight against "occult and mystical sects". The head of the press
centre of the Patriarchate of the Georgian Orthodox Church, David
Sharashenidze, says he does not see why Georgia should not create
something to that effect, provided some other countries have such a
service.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 25, January 27, p. 2, Mail-Express agency,
"Christian Liberals demand to suppress occult sects"
......................
Echo of Chechnya
The first report of the OSCE observer mission, which began to monitor
the situation at the Chechen sector of the Russian-Georgian border a
week ago, refuted the allegations of Russian high officials about
Georgia's sheltering Chechen militants. Russian observers will also
soon begin to monitor the situation in the area as offered by the
Georgian government.
"Rezonansi" No. 3, January 6, p. 1, Zviad Pochkhua, "OSCE observers
refuting the Kremlin's accusations"
According to Irakli Pirtskhalaishvili, the head of the refugee
department of the Ministry for Refugees and Accommodation, 5,585
Chechen citizens have passed registration and were granted the refugee
status in Georgia. They will get the same (paltry) allowance as the
IDPs from Abkhazia and South Ossetia - the 2000 state budget provides
for necessary finance. At the same time, he admits that the real
number of the Chechen refugees in the country is much bigger and,
therefore, the number of applications for refugee status seems likely
to increase.
"Dilis Gazeti" No. 7, January 18, p. 5, Prime-News agency, "5,585
refugees granted the official refugee status in Georgia"
Two Chechen men were arrested by Georgian frontier guards in the
Chechen sector of the Russian-Georgian border. Both were unarmed, both
will be treated as trespassers. At an urgent request of Russia,
Tbilisi does not grant the refugee status to adult males from
Chechnya.
"Shvidi Dge" No. 10, January 26-27, p. 2, Prime-News agency, "Frontier
guards detained two Chechens"
It seems that the Chechen representation office in Tbilisi may be
closed: Georgian law-enforcement officials have suddenly discovered
that there were no legal grounds for its activities in Georgia.
However, Alexander Sokolov of the Russian human rights centre
"Memorial" argues that the office should continue its operations as it
greatly helps to solve daily problems of 5.500 Chechen refugees who
sojourn in the Pankisi Valley (an area near the Chechen sector of the
Russian-Georgian border).
"Dilis Gazeti" No. 18, January 31, p. 2, Prime-News agency, "The
Chechen representation office in Georgia should not be closed"
Adjarian autonomy
The pro-Batumi political bloc demanded to amend the Constitution
regarding the status of Adjaria (the territorial arrangement of
Georgia is not defined in the country's constitution). In response,
Shevardnadze suggested that Adjaria should be granted maximum
autonomy. He says he hopes such a model may become attractive for
Abkhazia as well.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 16, January 18, p. 2, Thamar Ninidze, "Shevardnadze
promises Adjaria maximum autonomy"
The January 25 sitting of the parliamentary majority discussed the
repeated demands of the Adjarian leadership to amend the constitution
of Georgia in order to define the status of Adjaria. The sitting
resolved that the constitution of the Adjarian autonomy contradicts
that of Georgia, especially concerning the competence of the central
government; as to the request, it cannot be satisfied before the issue
is examined by a special, competent commission.
"Meridiani 44" No. 8, January 26-28, pp. 1, 3, Prime-News agency, "The
Citizens' Union accused the Adjarian leadership of violating the
constitution"
In and about Abkhazia
Kofi Anan and Eduard Shevardnadze discussed the situation in the
Caucasus in the light of the conflict in Chechnya and problems of the
conflict settlement in Abkhazia by phone on January 4.
"Svobodnaya Gruzia" No. 3, January 5, p. 1, Sakinform news agency
Ukrainian and Azerbaijani embassies in Georgia are preparing talks
between the leaders of their countries and a delegation of the
Tbilisi-based government of Abkhazia. The talks are scheduled for
January and will be focused on prospects of these countries'
participation in the settlement of the conflict in Abkhazia, including
deployment of their peacekeepers in the region. Vladislav Ardzinba,
the Abkhaz leader, protests against Ukraine's possible participation
in the process: Ukraine, in his opinion, maintains a clearly
pro-Georgian stance towards this issue.
"Rezonansi" No. 2, January 5, pp. 1, 3, Zviad Pochkhua, "Azerbaijan
and Ukraine to join the process of settlement in Abkhazia"
At his recent press conference in Kutaisi Zurab Samushia, the
commander of the Georgian guerrilla unit "White Legion", said Georgian
residents of Abkhazia had founded a Provisional Committee of Abkhazia.
He announced a statement of the Council of the committee: as the
committee is going to launch large-scale military actions in Abkhazia
in the spring, the Georgian government should pronounce its position
on the subject within two months. The text of the statement will be
put in the Internet (http://www.abkhazeti.com).
"Shvidi (7) Dge" No. 1, January 5-6, p. 2, Nino Gachava, "White Legion
to wage a war against Abkhazia in the spring"
The co-ordination council, created in the framework of the Geneva
process for settling the Georgian-Abkhaz conflict, held its session in
Tbilisi on January 19. Vazha Lortkipanidze, the state minister of
Georgia, and Vladislav Tsugrba, the prime minister of Abkhazia,
chaired the Georgian and Abkhaz delegations respectively. The parties
signed a protocol on a joint law-enforcement and investigation group
in the conflict zone. The parties also agreed to resume the talks on
peaceful settlement and repatriation of refugees.
"Dilis Gazeti" No. 9, January 20, p. 3, Prime-news agency, "Chronicle
of the Georgian-Abkhaz talks"
Two UNOMIG officers (an Albanian and a Turk) were taken hostage by
four gunmen in the Gali district of Abkhazia on January 18. Some time
later the kidnappers released them near the village of Mziuri but hold
their car to go to Zugdidi. Georgian guerrillas deny their involvement
in the incident.
"Dilis Gazeti" No. 8, January 19, p. 4 Beso Kurtanidze, "Guerrillas
did not kidnap UNOMIG officers"
Some 20 Abkhaz gunmen crossed the Enguri River and took hostage Indiko
Kardava and his wife Sveta in the village of Shemgona, Zugdidi
district, late in the evening on January 23. Georgian law-enforcement
authorities say the hostages were kidnapped for ransom. Reportedly,
such cases have become common in recent times.
"Dilis Gazeti" No. 13, January 25, p. 2, Kavkaz-press, "Abkhaz gunmen
kidnapped Georgians"
While in Tbilisi, prime minister Vladislav Tsugrba handed him over
Vladislav Ardzinba's invitation for t�te-�-t�te talks on economic
problems, President Shevardnadze says. He has not decided yet whether
to accept the invitation.
"Droni" No. 9, January 25, p. 5, BS-Press agency, "T�te-�-t�te with
Ardzinba"
Relatives of Indiko and Svetllana Kardava, who have been kidnapped by
the Abkhaz in the village of Shemgona, Zugdidi district of Georgia,
are still picketing the Enguri river, demanding to exchange the
hostages for the bodies of three Abkhaz citizens killed on the
Georgian bank of the Enguri River on January 25. According to the
Zugdidi administration, the negotiations between the two parties
continue. The Georgian side keeps insisting on all-for-all exchange,
but the Abkhaz are objecting (according to various sources, seven or
eight Georgian hostages are held captive for ransom in Abkhazia. --
CIPDD).
"Dilis Gazeti" No. 18, January 31, p. 2, Kavkaz-Press agency,
"Relatives of hostages carry out a protest action"
Three Abkhaz (Tsveiba, Dbar and Kaubava) were killed and one
(Ashkhatsava) wounded in a skirmish near the Enguri bridge (the border
between Abkhazia and the rest of Georgia) late at night on January 25.
A group of Georgian security service intervened and arrested one of
the Abkhaz, Vanacha by name). The Zugdidi police and procurator's
office are investigating the incident. According to preliminary
information, the case looks like a conflict between Georgian and
Abkhaz criminals.
"Svobodnaya Gruzia" No. 23, January 27, p. 1, "A bloody night at the
Enguri"
A bus was blown up by a mine in the Gali district of Abkhazia on
January 27, the driver was wounded. Amazbey Kakch, the Abkhaz interior
minister, says Georgian guerrillas try to aggravate the situation in
the district on the eve of the coming UN Security Council's session on
Abkhazia.
"Dilis Gazeti" No. 17, January 29, p. 2, Kavkaz-Press agency, "A bus
blown up in Gali"
--
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