Georgia
19.07.02
Urgent Interventions
Georgia: Harassement and assault against a human rights activist and his family
URGENT APPEAL - THE OBSERVATORY
GEO 002/0702/OBS 044
Harassment/
Assault
Georgia
19 July 2002
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint FIDH and OMCT program, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Georgia:
Brief description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by the Human Rights Information and Documentation Center that on July 15, 2002 at 11:00 a.m., Nugzar Sulashvili and his family were the victims of an armed attack at their home. Mr. Sulashvili is the chairman of the International Union: "Center for Foreign Citizens’ and Migrants’ Rights and Security" (FCRS) - a Tbilisi based NGO. The aggressor intended to murder Mr. Sulashvili and his wife and daughter. The neighbours managed to step in and save them.
According to the information received, the attacker, who apparently belong to secret services, was released immediately after his arrest, and the police did not initiate any investigation.
Mr. Sulashvili and his family have already been victim of acts of harassment in the past, through anonymous phone calls and letters threatening their lives.
During the past three years, there have been several attempts to discredit the FCRS, and several acts of vandalism have been perpetrated against the organisation.
On March 12, 2000 several unidentified persons attacked the FCRS office and destroyed equipment and important documents. The same happened on July 18, 2000.
On November 4, 2000, unidentified persons attacked and severely beat the first deputy to the Chairman of the organization, Anton Robakidze, who was about to go to trial. On this occasion, documents were taken.
On January 2, 2001 at 11 p.m. unidentified persons attacked the FCRS chairman’s car, while he and his family were travelling from Rustavi to Tbilisi. The attackers took several documents during this event that seems to have been a planned accident.
On August 14, 2001 at Tbilisi airport, materials about trafficking were disappeared. These documents, obtained by Nugzar Sulashvili, contained information implying officials’ involvement in trafficking. In addition, several video tapes were misplaced, some of them prepared by Sulashvili, and others about American Coalition Against trafficking.
On May 13, 2002, unidentified persons attacked and beat Ioseb Sulashvili on his way home. They warned him that he should cease to investigate activities about employment firms participating in trafficking.
Apparently the constant harassment against Mr. Sulashvili is due to his professional activity. Indeed, the FCRS, which fight against trafficking, has, for the last two years, provided hundreds of victims with juridical, medical, psychological and financial assistance. The organization has also revealed the government’s involvement in trafficking.
The purpose of the last attack against Mr. Sulashvili was certainly to prevent him from publishing the 2001-2002 annual report on trafficking in Georgia. Travel agencies and high officials in the Government involved in trafficking are implicated in this report.
The Observatory recalls that this last attack occurs in a context in which all those who denounce human rights violations in Georgia, are the victims of increasing violence. It must be stressed that this event occurs five days only after an attack against the Liberty Institute office in Tbilisi, by a group of about 15 people, in which several members of the organisation were injured (See Urgent appeal GEO 001/0702/OBS 039).
Actions requested:
Please write to the Georgian authorities urging them to:
i. Guarantee the security and physical integrity of Mr. Nugzar Sulashvili and his familiy in all circumstances;
ii.Order an immediate investigation into this attack in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the sanctions provided by law;
iii. Put an end to all forms of harassement and violence against Human Rights Defenders and ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN general Assembly on December 9, 1998 in particular its article 1, which provides that "every person has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental liberties at the national and international level" and article 12: “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.";
iv. Guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international instruments ratified by Georgia.
Addresses:
President of Georgia:
Eduard Shevardnadze
Gruziya; 380018 g. Tbilisi; pr. Rustaveli, 8; Apparat Prezidenta Gruzii; Prezidentu Shevardnadze, E.A.; Georgia
Fax: + 995 32 - 99 96 30 / 99 08 79 / 98 23 54
E-mail: office@presidpress.gov.ge
Ministry of the Interior:
Mr. Koba NARCHEMASHVILI
Gruziya; 380014 g.Tbilisi; ul. Generala Gia Gulua, 10; Ministerstvo vnutrennikh del Gruzii; Ministru Maj.-Gen. Targamadze, K.; Georgia
Fax numbers: +995 32 - 99 95 24 and
+995 32 - 98 65 32
Minister of Justice
Mr. Roland GILIGASHVILI
19, Griboedov St, Tbilisi 380008 Georgia
Fax: +995 32 - 93 02 25;
Minister of Security
Mr. Valeri KHABURZANIA
9 April St, 4, Tbilisi, 380008 Georgia
Fax: +995 32 - 93 27 91; +995 32 - 92 23 15
General Procurator:
Mr. Nugzar GABRICHIDZE
Gruziya; 380033 g. Tbilisi; ul. Gorgosali, 24; Prokuratura Gruzii; Generalnomu prokuroru; Meparishvili, G.; Georgia
Fax: + 995 32 - 98 21 70
Chair of the parliamentary Committee for Human Rights
Mrs. Elene Tevdoradze
Gruziya 380018 g. Tbilisi pr. Rustaveli, 8; Komitet parlamenta Gruzii po pravam
cheloveka, grazhdanskim petitsiyam i stroitelstvu grazhdanskogo obshchestvo
Predsedatelyu TEVDORADZE E. Fax: (+ 99532) 92 33 50
E-mail: hremcmt@parliament.ge
Public Defender of Georgia
Mrs. Nana Devdariani,
11, Machabeli street, 380007, Tbilisi, Georgia. Fax: (+ 99532) 922470 // (+ 99532) 92 24 78.
nana_devdariani@gol.ge or pdo@gateway.ge
**********
Paris, Geneva, 19 July 2002
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
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.
1998 Human Rights Prize of The French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Tel and fax: FIDH : +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT : (+ 41 22) 809 49 39 / 809 49 29E-mail :
observatoire@iprolink.ch
GEO 002/0702/OBS 044
Harassment/
Assault
Georgia
19 July 2002
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint FIDH and OMCT program, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Georgia:
Brief description of the situation:
The Observatory has been informed by the Human Rights Information and Documentation Center that on July 15, 2002 at 11:00 a.m., Nugzar Sulashvili and his family were the victims of an armed attack at their home. Mr. Sulashvili is the chairman of the International Union: "Center for Foreign Citizens’ and Migrants’ Rights and Security" (FCRS) - a Tbilisi based NGO. The aggressor intended to murder Mr. Sulashvili and his wife and daughter. The neighbours managed to step in and save them.
According to the information received, the attacker, who apparently belong to secret services, was released immediately after his arrest, and the police did not initiate any investigation.
Mr. Sulashvili and his family have already been victim of acts of harassment in the past, through anonymous phone calls and letters threatening their lives.
During the past three years, there have been several attempts to discredit the FCRS, and several acts of vandalism have been perpetrated against the organisation.
On March 12, 2000 several unidentified persons attacked the FCRS office and destroyed equipment and important documents. The same happened on July 18, 2000.
On November 4, 2000, unidentified persons attacked and severely beat the first deputy to the Chairman of the organization, Anton Robakidze, who was about to go to trial. On this occasion, documents were taken.
On January 2, 2001 at 11 p.m. unidentified persons attacked the FCRS chairman’s car, while he and his family were travelling from Rustavi to Tbilisi. The attackers took several documents during this event that seems to have been a planned accident.
On August 14, 2001 at Tbilisi airport, materials about trafficking were disappeared. These documents, obtained by Nugzar Sulashvili, contained information implying officials’ involvement in trafficking. In addition, several video tapes were misplaced, some of them prepared by Sulashvili, and others about American Coalition Against trafficking.
On May 13, 2002, unidentified persons attacked and beat Ioseb Sulashvili on his way home. They warned him that he should cease to investigate activities about employment firms participating in trafficking.
Apparently the constant harassment against Mr. Sulashvili is due to his professional activity. Indeed, the FCRS, which fight against trafficking, has, for the last two years, provided hundreds of victims with juridical, medical, psychological and financial assistance. The organization has also revealed the government’s involvement in trafficking.
The purpose of the last attack against Mr. Sulashvili was certainly to prevent him from publishing the 2001-2002 annual report on trafficking in Georgia. Travel agencies and high officials in the Government involved in trafficking are implicated in this report.
The Observatory recalls that this last attack occurs in a context in which all those who denounce human rights violations in Georgia, are the victims of increasing violence. It must be stressed that this event occurs five days only after an attack against the Liberty Institute office in Tbilisi, by a group of about 15 people, in which several members of the organisation were injured (See Urgent appeal GEO 001/0702/OBS 039).
Actions requested:
Please write to the Georgian authorities urging them to:
i. Guarantee the security and physical integrity of Mr. Nugzar Sulashvili and his familiy in all circumstances;
ii.Order an immediate investigation into this attack in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the sanctions provided by law;
iii. Put an end to all forms of harassement and violence against Human Rights Defenders and ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the UN general Assembly on December 9, 1998 in particular its article 1, which provides that "every person has the right, individually or collectively, to promote the protection and fulfilment of human rights and fundamental liberties at the national and international level" and article 12: “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.";
iv. Guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and other international instruments ratified by Georgia.
Addresses:
President of Georgia:
Eduard Shevardnadze
Gruziya; 380018 g. Tbilisi; pr. Rustaveli, 8; Apparat Prezidenta Gruzii; Prezidentu Shevardnadze, E.A.; Georgia
Fax: + 995 32 - 99 96 30 / 99 08 79 / 98 23 54
E-mail: office@presidpress.gov.ge
Ministry of the Interior:
Mr. Koba NARCHEMASHVILI
Gruziya; 380014 g.Tbilisi; ul. Generala Gia Gulua, 10; Ministerstvo vnutrennikh del Gruzii; Ministru Maj.-Gen. Targamadze, K.; Georgia
Fax numbers: +995 32 - 99 95 24 and
+995 32 - 98 65 32
Minister of Justice
Mr. Roland GILIGASHVILI
19, Griboedov St, Tbilisi 380008 Georgia
Fax: +995 32 - 93 02 25;
Minister of Security
Mr. Valeri KHABURZANIA
9 April St, 4, Tbilisi, 380008 Georgia
Fax: +995 32 - 93 27 91; +995 32 - 92 23 15
General Procurator:
Mr. Nugzar GABRICHIDZE
Gruziya; 380033 g. Tbilisi; ul. Gorgosali, 24; Prokuratura Gruzii; Generalnomu prokuroru; Meparishvili, G.; Georgia
Fax: + 995 32 - 98 21 70
Chair of the parliamentary Committee for Human Rights
Mrs. Elene Tevdoradze
Gruziya 380018 g. Tbilisi pr. Rustaveli, 8; Komitet parlamenta Gruzii po pravam
cheloveka, grazhdanskim petitsiyam i stroitelstvu grazhdanskogo obshchestvo
Predsedatelyu TEVDORADZE E. Fax: (+ 99532) 92 33 50
E-mail: hremcmt@parliament.ge
Public Defender of Georgia
Mrs. Nana Devdariani,
11, Machabeli street, 380007, Tbilisi, Georgia. Fax: (+ 99532) 922470 // (+ 99532) 92 24 78.
nana_devdariani@gol.ge or pdo@gateway.ge
**********
Paris, Geneva, 19 July 2002
Kindly inform the Observatory of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
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.
1998 Human Rights Prize of The French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Tel and fax: FIDH : +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT : (+ 41 22) 809 49 39 / 809 49 29E-mail :
observatoire@iprolink.ch