Georgia
28.11.00
Urgent Interventions
Georgia: Attack on NGO / Theft of material and docume
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
GEO 001 / 0011 / OBS 119
Attack on NGO / Theft of material and documents
GEORGIA
28th November 2000
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Georgia.
Description of the situation :
The Observatory has been informed that on 11 November 2000, at around 5 A.M., the regional office of the Independent Society « Human Rights in Georgia »(ISHRG) in Gori (Eastern Georgia) was attacked by unidentified armed individuals. The attackers, about 7 – 8 persons, destroyed the iron bars and an iron door, attacked the watchman, crashed an inside wooden door and devastated the office. They stole the equipment of the office (brand new PENTIUM III computers, printer, UPS, gasoline heater, telephone) as well as all the documentation.
The office started its activities in October 2000 when the organisation started with the setting up of regional offices resulting in the opening of regional offices in Zugidi and Gori. The ISHRG plans to establish three more regional offices in spring and to create local centres of human rights. However, it has to be noted, that this will have to be done in a climate of hostility.
The Observatory shares the fears of the ISHRG that these facts are not simple criminal acts but also aim to neutralise the growing influence of the third sector in Georgia especially in the human rights field. The Observatory recalls that, according to article 12.2 of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9th 1998, « The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration ».
Actions requested :
Please write to the Georgian authorities demanding that they :
i.- order an immediate and independent investigation into this attack, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law ;
ii.- abide by the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9th 1998 (« Declaration on the Rights and Responsibility of individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ») and more particularly article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels” and article 12.2 above mentioned ;
iii.- more generally abide by the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the regional and the international covenants ratified by Georgia.
Addresses :
Minister Mr. Kakha Targamadze, Ministry of Interior of Georgia, 10 Gulua St, 380014,Tbilisi, Georgia.Fax: (+ 99532) 99 95 24
Mr. Zurab Zhvania, Chairman of The Parliament, 8, Rustaveli avenue, 380008, Tbilisi, Georgia. Fax: (+ 99532) 99 95 94
Mrs. Elene Tevdoradze, Committe of Human rights of Parliament, Tbilisi, Georgia. Fax: (+ 99532) 92 33 50
Mrs. Nana Devdariani, Public Defender of Georgia, 11, Machabeli street, 380007, Tbilisi, Georgia. Fax: (+ 99532) 922470 // (+ 99532) 92 24 78
Geneva-Paris, 28th September 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken, quoting the reference number given above. The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line: Fax: +033 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel: FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT +41 22 809 49 39
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch
GEO 001 / 0011 / OBS 119
Attack on NGO / Theft of material and documents
GEORGIA
28th November 2000
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights, a joint programme of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Georgia.
Description of the situation :
The Observatory has been informed that on 11 November 2000, at around 5 A.M., the regional office of the Independent Society « Human Rights in Georgia »(ISHRG) in Gori (Eastern Georgia) was attacked by unidentified armed individuals. The attackers, about 7 – 8 persons, destroyed the iron bars and an iron door, attacked the watchman, crashed an inside wooden door and devastated the office. They stole the equipment of the office (brand new PENTIUM III computers, printer, UPS, gasoline heater, telephone) as well as all the documentation.
The office started its activities in October 2000 when the organisation started with the setting up of regional offices resulting in the opening of regional offices in Zugidi and Gori. The ISHRG plans to establish three more regional offices in spring and to create local centres of human rights. However, it has to be noted, that this will have to be done in a climate of hostility.
The Observatory shares the fears of the ISHRG that these facts are not simple criminal acts but also aim to neutralise the growing influence of the third sector in Georgia especially in the human rights field. The Observatory recalls that, according to article 12.2 of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9th 1998, « The State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration ».
Actions requested :
Please write to the Georgian authorities demanding that they :
i.- order an immediate and independent investigation into this attack, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law ;
ii.- abide by the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9th 1998 (« Declaration on the Rights and Responsibility of individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms ») and more particularly article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels” and article 12.2 above mentioned ;
iii.- more generally abide by the provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the regional and the international covenants ratified by Georgia.
Addresses :
Minister Mr. Kakha Targamadze, Ministry of Interior of Georgia, 10 Gulua St, 380014,Tbilisi, Georgia.Fax: (+ 99532) 99 95 24
Mr. Zurab Zhvania, Chairman of The Parliament, 8, Rustaveli avenue, 380008, Tbilisi, Georgia. Fax: (+ 99532) 99 95 94
Mrs. Elene Tevdoradze, Committe of Human rights of Parliament, Tbilisi, Georgia. Fax: (+ 99532) 92 33 50
Mrs. Nana Devdariani, Public Defender of Georgia, 11, Machabeli street, 380007, Tbilisi, Georgia. Fax: (+ 99532) 922470 // (+ 99532) 92 24 78
Geneva-Paris, 28th September 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken, quoting the reference number given above. The Observatory, an FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line: Fax: +033 (0) 1 55 80 83 92
Tel: FIDH 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 OMCT +41 22 809 49 39
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch