South Caucasian Human Rights Monitor
published by the Caucasian Institute for Peace, Development and Democracywith the help of the Winston Foundation for Peace
Editor: Emil Adelkhanov-SteinbergPart 3
Human Rights in Georgia
April 2000The political prisoners on hunger strike
97 prisoners of the women colony appeal to the president and general public to help prevent suicide of the four political prisoners, who are demanding a general political amnesty. The women emphasise that they do not belong to any political party.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 92, April 3, p. 7, Daredjan Meparishvili, "The tragedy may become our common pain"
Ms Dodo Gugeshashvili, one of the imprisoned members of the paramilitary organisation Mkhedrioni, appeals to the president in support of the imprisoned Zviadists’ action. The author reminds that after the collapse of Gamsakhurdia’s government, Mkhedrioni used to severely suppress Zviadists.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 92, April 3, p. 7, Daredjan Meparishvili, "Dodo Gugeshashvili supported the prisoners’ hunger-strike"
In his recent statement Temur Lomsadze, the acting ombudsman of Georgia, expressed his deep concern with the hunger strike of imprisoned "Zviadists", four of which are going to commit a suicide if their demands are not satisfied. He called for a compromise to be reached between the government and the political prisoners.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 93, April 4, p. 8, Gea news agency, "The ombudsman concerned"
The NGO "Former Political Prisoners for Human Rights" will sue the chairman of the penitentiary department Givi Qvarelashvili, unless he explains by April 10 (the term stipulated by law) why its members are not allowed to visit the hunger strikers in the central prison hospital, Gela Nikolaishvili, one of the leaders of the NGO, says. The NGO is also going to raise responsibility of Johnny Khetsuriani, the minister for justice, for impeding their visiting the prisoners.
"Alia" No. 54, April 6-7, p. 5, Tamara Lomishvili, "The NGO will sue Qvarelashvili"
Djemal Gamakharia MP began a hunger strike in his office on April 5 in solidarity with the political prisoners, who are on hunger striker demanding an amnesty for all political prisoners.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 96, April 7, Prime-News agency, "No reaction on the part of authorities"
Journalists held a meeting outside the central prison hospital on 6-7 March, demanding permission to visit the imprisoned hunger strikers. To avoid meeting them, the minister for justice and the chairman of the state penitentiary department that visited the hunger strikers on 7 March, just fled.
"Alia" No. 55, April 8-9, p. 2, Tamara Lomishvili, "The minister’s car nearly ran over a journalist"
The imprisoned "Zviadists" ceased their hunger strike with demand for a general political amnesty, after Zurab Zhvania, the chairman of the parliament, Ilya II, Patriarch Catholicos of Georgia, Johnny Khetsuriani, the minister for justice, and Rusudan Beridze, the human rights secretary of the National Security Council, visited the hunger-strikers in the central prison hospital on April 8. The chairman of the parliament told them that the parliament was going to decide the destiny of those arrested during the 1991-92 civil war and issue a special political document as a basis for their release. Nobody is on hunger strike now, the day before the elections.
"Rezonansi" No. 95, April 9, pp. 1, 2; Dato Bakradze, "The whole week in one article"
Presidential elections
A group of supporters of presidential candidate Djumber Patiashvili (former first secretary of the Communist Party) and several opposition parties launched a protest action outside the State TV building on April 3. In their public statement they accused the State TV of bias, supporting interests of only one candidate (they were too shy, however, to say that it was President Shevardnadze), and even creating civil confrontation in breach of the Constitution of Georgia. The chairman of the State TV and Radio Department Zaza Shengelia had to meet them and promise them access to the State TV channel.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 93, April 4, p. 2, Zaza Bakashvili, "The TV calmed the opposition"
The Central Election Commission is going to appeal to the Procurator’s Office to investigate who should be held responsible for the derailment of presidential candidate Tengiz Asanidze (imprisoned in Batumi) election campaign.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 97, April 8, p. 2, Mail-Express news agency, "Why did Tengiz Asanidze’s election campaign fail?"
As expected, Eduard Shevardnadze easily won the April 9 presidential elections, having received, according to preliminary information, 80.5% of the votes. His main contestant, Djumber Patiashvili, got only 16.5%. As to Aslan Abashidze, the Adjarian leader, he withdrew his candidacy in favour of Shevardnadze the day before the elections – on April 8. Informal sources say that, contrary to the official reports, less than a half of the electorate came to the polling stations, so the Central Election Commission had to falsify the ballot results.
"Dilis Gazeti" No. 78, April 10, p. 1, Tamara Mtchedlishvili, "Our choice"
Georgia will have to do a lot of work to meet the requirements of the Council of Europe, the statement of the OSCE observer mission says. The mission calls upon the Georgian government to thoroughly investigate every infringement at the April 9 presidential elections.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 100, April 12, p. 4, Irakli Gogorishvili, "Data from the 99% of the polling stations summarised: Shevardnadze got 78.83% of the voters, Patiashvili - 16.6%"
According to Nugzar Ivanidze, the chairman of the NGO "Fair Elections", observers of his organisation registered large-scale rigging at the April 9 presidential elections, including even criminal cases.
"Rezonansi" No. 98, April 12, p. 4, Aleko Tskitishvili, "Voters were deprived of their right to vote on April 9 – like prisoners:"
Reporting the results of the April 9 presidential elections in Georgia, experts of the U.S. State Department write that there has never been such election rigging "even in Azerbaijan and Central Asian countries".
"Droni" No. 43, April 13, "Western analysts on the presidential elections in Georgia"
The data submitted to the Central Election Commission by district election commissions right after the ballot showed that in some constituencies Shevardnadze won more than 100% of the votes, which infuriated the chairman of Parliament (responsible for his electoral campaign), Givi Targamadze of the Liberty Institute says. It seems that local authorities competed with each other to "present" the president with more votes, Targamadze explained.
"Rezonansi" No. 99, April 13, p. 2, Rusiko Mumladze, "Socialist emulation in rigging: a disservice to the president"
The Central Election Commission announced the final results of the 9 April presidential elections on April 20: Shevardnadze got 79.8% of the votes, Djumber Patiashvili 16.6%, the others got lesser than 4% altogether.
"Alia" No. 62, April 20-21, p. 1, "Mathematical novelties in the Central Election Commission"
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Presidential pardon
On April 20 President Shevardnadze decreed to pardon 279 prisoners - some of them will be released, the imprisonment terms of the others will be reduced. The decree "applies to the prisoners convicted in connection with the 1991-93 civil war, regardless of the party they supported, veterans of the wars for territorial integrity of Georgia, most of the participants of the August 29, 1995, terrorist action, but does not apply to convicted murderers" (extract from President Shevardnadze’s address to the parliament).
"Svobodnaya Gruzia" No. 109, April 22, pp. 1, 2, Sakinform news agency, "President’s address to the parliament of Georgia"
On April 22 the parliament passed a resolution on eliminating the consequences of the civil war of 1991-92. According to the resolution, "the Parliament of Georgia welcomes and supports the efforts of the President aimed to put an end to the confrontation in the country, eliminate its consequences, begin national reconciliation and discharge the convicts sentenced in connection with the tragic events of 1991-92. In 1991 confrontation started in Georgia, followed by an overthrow of the legitimate government and civil war ..." The resolution requires the Procurator’s Office to examine and decide by July 1 the criminal cases of prisoners convicted "in connection with 1991-92 events up to now". By July 10 the Office has to announce the list of convicts to be released.
"Svobodnaya Gruzia" No. 109, April 22, p. 2, Sakinform news agency, "The dawn of great reconciliation"
Two "Mkhedrioni" leaders, Djaba Ioseliani and Dodo Gugeshashvili are among those pardoned by the president. Both were released on April 20.
"Rezonansi" No. 107, April 21, p. 2, Rusiko Mumladze, "As I always say: at the times of dictatorship, opposition is in prison" (from Djaba Ioseliani’s interview).
In the words of Zviad Dzidziguri, the former prefect of Samtredia who was released yesterday from the Avtchala colony under the presidential decree, the problem of political prisoners remains in Georgia and those freed will demand to release all the others.
"Rezonansi" No. 107, April 21, p. 3, Rusiko Mumladze, "Georgia is my motherland, not a political scene"
Walter Shurgaia, a former member of the Supreme Council of Georgia (in the time of Zviad Gamsakhurdia) who was released under the April 20 presidential decree, considers the current governmental policy of reconciliation to be insufficient. He says if the government does not free the "Zviadists" convicted with murder (under Art. 104), their comrades will launch radical protest actions. Now his immediate task is to find out who killed Zviad Gamsakhurdia.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 112, April 24, pp. 7,8, "The joint release of "Zviadists" and "Mkhedrioni" members looks like sadism"
In the opinion of Zviad Dzidziguri, one of the active supporters of Zviad Gamsakhurdia who was recently released from the Avtchala colony along with other "Zviadists, the release of wrongly convicted prisoners is just an attempt to redress a wrong and cannot be regarded as a step to reconciliation. In his words, real reconciliation will only become possible if the current authorities come to power through truly democratic elections rather than by forgery as it was at the last elections. He told journalists that one political prisoner, Djemal Okudjava (convicted of a murder committed in prison - CIPDD), still remained in the Avtchala colony and his comrades would press for his release. He criticised Shevardnadze for having "yielded" Abkhazia and South Ossetia. He provided no concrete information about tortures or execution of Gamsakhurdia’s supporters.
"Rezonansi" No. 108, April 22, p. 4, "Representatives of the legitimate government were tortured and executed" (from the interview)
Bimurza Aprasidze, a former member of the Supreme Council of Georgia (in the time of Zviad Gamsakhurdia) said "the release of members of the legitimate government arrested by criminals" could not be regarded as a move towards reconciliation. In his opinion, it was a farce staged to cut a dash before the West and deceive his own nation. Real reconciliation, he argued, could be achieved only through new elections which should be carried out by "the legitimate authorities" (i.e. Supreme Council). He protests against the expression "civil war": he says there was no civil war in Georgia -- just a handful of criminals subdued the nation with the help of Russian pro-imperial forces. In his words, some 50 people were killed at peaceful meetings after the overthrow.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 114, April 26, pp. 9-10, "There was no civil war in Georgia"
Zaur Kobalia, a former member of the Supreme Council of Georgia (in the time of Zviad Gamsakhurdia) who was released from prison along with other "Zviadists, says that the still imprisoned "Zviadists", who are convicted of murders, are not murderers: their cases were falsified, he says. He says that he will continue political activities as a right-winger representing the legitimate power (there have been no legitimate elections in Georgia since 1992, he argues). He does not believe the current government and credits the release of political prisoners to international human rights organisations.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 115, April 27, p. 4, "The right flank is vacant in today’s politics"
Tamaz Tziklauri, an imprisoned "Zviadist" who rejected the presidential pardon and declared hunger strike in the central prison hospital on April 8, demands "resignation of Shevardnadze’s criminal regime and restoration of the legitimate government". George Kervalishvili, the president of the All-Georgian Human Rights Association, says that earlier Tziklauri had carried out a 165-day hunger strike with the same demands.
"Rezonansi" No. 114, April 28, p. 4, Aleko Tskitishvili, "Shevardnadze must cede his power to inhabitants of the Colchian Tower (Gamsakhurdia’s residence - CIPDD)".
Leila Tsomaia harrased
While picketing the State Chancellery on April 6, Leila Tsomaia, an activist of the Zviad Liberator’s Party, and Louisa Shakiashvili, a veteran of national movement, were conveyed by the Mtatzminda district police out of the city so that they had to get back on their own.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 96, April 7, p. 3, Irakli Gogorishvili, "The police took Shakiashvili and Tsomaia to the Tbilisi Sea"
Leila Tsomaia, the leader of the Zviad Liberator’s Party, claims to be shadowed by the police and security agents day and night. She says her telephone is tapped and a "secret agent" regularly threatens to kill her unless she "gives up her anti-state activities".
"Shvidi Dge" No. 40, April 7-9, p. 3, GMS agency, "Tsomaia threatened with short shrift"
No legal proceedings have been so far instituted after the March 30 beating of Leila Tsomaia, the leader of the Zviad Liberator’s Party, though she has applied to law-enforcement bodies. On the other hand, she has been twice summoned to the Procurator’s Office as the alleged author of a leaflet calling for boycott of the presidential elections.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 107, April 19, p. 7, "No legal proceedings instituted on beating of Leila Tsomaia"
Freedom of press
Local authorities forbade journalists to visiting Tengiz Asanidze, a presidential candidate imprisoned in the preventive detention wards of the Adjarian security ministry when two members of the Central Election Commission arrived in Batumi to get him out of prison four days before the elections, on 4 April.
"Rezonansi" No. 91, April 5, p. 3, Zura Bauzhadze, "Journalists unable to visit Tengiz Asanidze"
Unidentified gunmen fired at the apartment of Clara Abramia, an editor of the "Tutarchela" newspaper, in her absence late on the night of April 10. Abramia links the case with her journalist investigation of the May 1998 fighting in the Gali district of Abkhazia, when the district "was sold" to the Abkhaz and local Georgian population was expelled for the second time.
"Rezonansi" No. 98, April 12, p. 2, Maka Tardjashvili, "The journalist’s home under fire"
Ghia Abdaladze, a photo correspondent of the "Dilis Gazeti" newspaper, was beaten by a police colonel and three other policemen outside the Sport Palace of Tbilisi on April 8, when attempting to film the beating of several teenagers by the police; his camera was broken. The journalist applied to the Saburtalo district police station and procurator’s office but in vein. Nobody can say whether the incident will ever be investigated. (The teenagers were beaten while trying to force their way to a pop concert arranged by the head of the Special Police Detachment Colonel Mghebrishvili for Mr Shevardnadze’s electoral campaign. None of them has dared to complain. – CIPDD)
"Dilis Gazeti" No. 81, April 13, p. 2, Gocha Chanadiri, "The police are not searching for those guilty"
30 NGOs are protesting against the beating of Ghia Abdaladze, the photo reporter of the "Dilis Gazeti" newspaper, by the police at the April 8 concert of pop music.
"Shvidi Dge" No. 45, April 19-20, p. 6, "A protest of the Tbilisi NGO Council"
Freedom of religion
Lia Djankanidze, a 21-year-old Jehovah Witness suffering from gangrene, and her parents refuse from blood transfusion, pleading their religious convictions. Leader of "Georgia Above All" Guram Sharadze MP uses the incident to launch a new campaign against religious sects and insist on urgent adoption of a law on religion.
Prime-News agency, "Akhali Taoba" No. 103, April 15, p. 9, "Propaganda of Jehovah Witnesses assuming a dangerous character in Georgia"
Lia Djankanidze, the young Jehovah Witness, died in hospital after a surgery on April 17. MP Guram Sharadze says she was actually killed by her coreligionists. He demands to adopt a law on religion and ban all activities of Jehovah Witnesses in Georgia.
"Dilis Gazeti" No. 85, April 18, p. 3, Maia Shonia, "A new campaign triggered by the death of a Jehovah Witness"
The religious organisation of Jehovah Witnesses "Pennsylvania Watch Tower" launched a press-conference on April 28 on occasion of Lia Djankanidze’s death. Having declined blood transfusion, she died in hospital after her leg was amputated (she suffered from gangrene; artificial blood was used for the transfusion). The leadership of the organisation and her relatives demand post-mortem to investigate the causes of her death. No post-mortem has been carried out so far, though investigation of the Procurator’s Office is under way.
"Dilis Gazeti" No. 95, April 29, p. 4, Besik Kurtanidze, "Jehovah Witnesses blame the girl’s death on physicians"
In and about Abkhazia
At a request of Abkhaz authorities, on March 29 the Georgian party released two Abkhazians, Gennady Ashkhatsava and Gela Vanacha, who were arrested in the district of Zugdidi on January 25. In exchange, Abkhaz officials promised to free some Georgian prisoners. But before it happened, the two released Abkhazians killed Mamuka Antia, a Georgian POW, in the Sukhumi prison on March 31. (Antia had been captured by Abkhaz in May 1998, when there was a guerrilla warfare in the district of Gali. At first, he was sentenced to death, but then the sentence was mitigated to 15 years’ imprisonment.)
"Akhali Taoba" No. 92, April 3, p. 8, Gea news agency, "A Georgian guerrilla killed in the Sukhumi prison"
The "Shvidi Dge" newspaper proposes its own version: Mamuka Antia committed suicide, having fallen victim to constant psychological pressure and beatings.
"Shvidi Dge" No. 38, April 3-4, p. 1, "The Abkhaz killed a Georgian guerrilla before the POW exchange"
Georgian guerrillas and relatives of Mamuka Antia’s mounted a protest action in Zugdidi on April 3, demanding a meeting with Avtandil Ioseliani, the chairman of the State Intelligence Department and the head of the commission for POW exchange and search of the missing.
"Rezonansi" No. 90, April 4, p. 3, Gea news agency, "An action began on the Enguri bridge"
Presentation of books on human rights (translated into Abkhazian) took place in the Sukhumi office of Dieter Boden, the envoy of the UN Secretary General to Georgia: "The International Bill of Human Rights" and "Learning Human Rights". Two UN documents are also being translated: on preventing tortures and on children rights.
"Shvidi Dge" No. 39, April 5-6, p. 2, Tengiz Patchkoria, "The Abkhaz getting familiar with human rights"
The other day unidentified gunmen fired at Abkhaz frontier guards near the village of Chuburgini, Gali District, killing one of them, Murman Dzandzava, and wounding two others, including Smirba, the commander of the Napati customs office. Georgian guerrillas have not claimed responsibility for the attack.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 96, April 7, p. 3, Prime-News agency, "One man killed and two wounded"
On April 14 Abkhaz authorities submitted the results of post-mortem of Mamuka Antia (the Georgian guerrilla who had died in the Sukhumi prison under suspicious circumstances) to Tbilisi. The Abkhaz experts claim that he had hanged himself in the wards. Levan Chachua, deputy head of the Georgian forensic bureau, doubts their version because several bruises were revealed on the dead body.
"Dilis Gazeti" No. 85, April 18, p. 2, Gea news agency, "The Abkhaz delivered the results of the post-mortem"
According to Raul Khadjindjal, the head of the Sukhumi security service, Georgian guerrillas led by Zaza Gagulia fired at an Abkhaz police car near the village of Tagiloni, Gali district of Abkhazia (the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping troops), on April 14, killing seven Abkhaz policemen. Commenting on the incident, Avtandil Ioseliani, the chairman of the Georgian State Intelligence Department, said it might delay the transfer of the bodies of the 47 killed Georgians to the Georgian side, though the Georgian and Abkhaz parties had agreed on the issue earlier.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 105, April 17, p. 2, Prime-News agency, "Seven Abkhaz policemen killed near Tagiloni"
Kakha Tsutskiridze, a cameraman of the independent TV company "Rustavi-2", was wounded the other day in the Gali district of Abkhazia. He says he was wounded by accident. In his words, he had used to cross the Enguri River and enter Abkhazia almost every weak to make a film. Russian peacekeepers have beaten him more than once and broke his camera but nobody had fired at him before.
"Rezonansi" No. 112, April 26, p. 2, Rusiko Mikava, "Who fired at the journalist?"
According to the interior ministry of Abkhazia, Georgian guerrillas fired at a car of the Abkhaz frontier guards near the village of Saberio, Gali district, on April 27, killing three guards and a Georgian woman (local resident) and wounding one guard. Georgian guerrillas refused to claim responsibility for the incident.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 117, April 29, p. 3, Prime-News agency, "Four people killed in a gunfire in the Gali district"
Varia
When President Shevardnadze was on a pre-election tour in the Akhalkalaki district (Armenian-populated Samtskhe-Djavakheti region), about 200 local Armenians carried out a meeting, demanding to give Djavakheti an autonomous status, officialy recognise the fact of genocide of Armenians in Turkey in the early 20th century and solve social problems of the region.
"Rezonansi" No. 91, April 5, p. 1, Prime-News agency, "An action to restore the Djavakheti autonomy"
(In 1915, when the district (uyezd) of Akhalkalaki was resubordinated from the Armenian-populated province of Kars to that of Tiflis, the local Armenians demanded a special status for it, to be autonomous from the Tiflis authority. That is why the author uses the verb "to restore". – CIPDD)
According to the press centre of the Ministry of Interior, 18 suspects wanted by the Georgian law-enforcement bodies in connection with various crimes were extradited from Rostov, Russia, to Georgia the other day. On the basis of the last year’s agreement between the two countries’ ministries of interior, Russia has extradited several dozens of Georgian citizens up to now.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 102, April 14, p. 7, Prime-News agency, "18 suspects extradited from Rostov to Tbilisi"
On April 18 the parliament amended the Constitution of Georgia to give Ajaria the formal status of an autonomous republic (when adopting the Constitution, MPs left out the issue of territorial arrangement of the country - CIPDD).
"Rezonansi" No. 105, April 19, p. 2, Tamara Mtchedlishvili, "A day of great reconciliation in the parliament"
The Russian-Georgian talks on a visa regime resumed in Tbilisi on April 18. Russia keeps pushing for such a regime between the two countries.
"Shvidi Dge" No. 45, April 19-20, pp. 1, 4, Nika Khachapuridze, "Which party is closer to Russia"
At a press conference of the political organisation "Mkhedrioni" (which strongly demands not to mix it with the paramilitary organisation "Mkhedrioni" outlawed in 1995 - CIPDD), Mr Djaba Ioseliani said he might return to politics: "I did not have such an intention but it seems that I have no other choice: the situation in Georgian politics is abnormal." It was also announced that the Co-ordination Council of Veterans and Invalids which associates 25 NGOs appealed to the president to propose Tornike Beridze, a member of the political council of Mkhedrioni, as a candidate for ombudsmanship.
"Akhali Taoba" No. 113, April 25, pp. 3, 4, Annie Mirotadze, "Djaba comes back to politics, Mkhedrioni wants the ombudsman’s office"
The parliamentary juridical committee yielded to the pressure of the Tbilisi police and turned away MP Koba Davitashvili’s bill on municipal lawyer service. (Last year, the project "Municipal Lawyer" was carried out for some months under the auspices of the Tbilisi municipality. The project provided for the round-the-clock lawyer service in police stations of the capital and was cancelled at the demand of the police bosses). Davitashvili is going to appeal to the parliamentary bureau.
"Droni" No. 50, April 29, p. 2, Tamara Kintsurashvili, "Big officials defeated smaller ones"