Georgia
29.11.01
Urgent Interventions
Georgia: Robbery of the NGO “For the Protection of Human Rights and Rights of Prisoners of Georgia”
URGENT APPEAL – THE OBSERVATORY
GEO 001/0111/OBS 095
Robbery of an NGO / Acts of intimidation
Georgia
29th November 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint program of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Georgia.
Brief description of the facts:
The Observatory has been informed by the Human Rights Information and Documentation Center (ISHRG) that the Marneuli regional office of the NGO “For the Protection of Human Rights and Rights of Prisoners of Georgia” was robbed on 19th November 2001.
According to the information received, the members of the organization found broken doors and their printing machine as well as various documents were taken. Although they immediately reported the robbery to the police, there has been no tangible results as of today. It is to be noted that the personal offices in Tbilisi of the head of the organization, Mr. Giorgi Lagidze had also been robbed on 15th May 2001 when various documents were taken.
The Observatory has also been informed of the attack led by Levan Pirveli, Member of Parliament and member of the Citizen’s Union, against Givi Targamadze, member of the NGO “Liberty Institute” on the night of 17th November 2001 at the restaurant “Dzveli Sakhli” in Tbilisi. Mr. Pirveli opened gunfire on Mr. Targamadze, member of the anti-corruption Presidential council that had accused him of corruption. Fortunately, Mr. Targamadze was not hurt.
Besides, the Observatory would also like to recall previous acts of intimidation targeted at human rights organizations. On 4th July 2001, the “Liberty Institute” organization’s offices were robbed and two monitors and three hard disks containing investigation data on corruption were taken. However, the police started investigating only on 21st August. On 6th July 2001, Zviad Mamasakhlisi, a representative of the ISHRG and his friend were attacked by five policemen, who severely beat them first in the street and then in the police offices.
The Observatory is gravely concerned by the multiplication of the acts of intimidation against human rights NGOs, and attacks on the freedom of the press over the last months. This can be illustrated by the police raid that took place on 30th October 2001 in the offices of the independent television channel Rustavi 2, which is very critical of the government’s policy and strongly committed to denouncing the widespread corruption. Also, the murder in July 2001 of its main figure, Géorgyi Sanaya, has remained unsolved.
Actions requested:
Please write to the Georgian authorities to urge them to:
i. conduct an impartial and thorough investigation on the incidents aforementioned, identify and prosecute the perpetrators of these acts under the existing laws;
ii. put an end to all forms of harassment of human rights defenders and their organizations, and ensure that they are allowed to carry out their work without obstacles;
iii. ensure the application of the provisions of the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms adopted on 9th December 1998 by the United Nations General Assembly, especially with respect to the protection of the right of all persons, “individually or in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels” (art. 1) as well as the duty of the State “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” (art. 12.2);
iv. ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards.
Adresses:
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
General Procurator:
Gia Meparishvili
Gruziya; 380033 g. Tbilisi; ul. Gorgosali, 24; Prokuratura Gruzii; Generalnomu prokuroru; Meparishvili, G.; Georgia
Fax: + 995 32 - 98 21 70
Ministry of the Interior:
Maj.-Gen. Kakha Targamadze
Gruziya; 380014 g.Tbilisi; ul. Generala Gia Gulua, 10; Ministerstvo vnutrennikh del Gruzii; Ministru Maj.-Gen. Targamadze, K.; Georgia
Fax: + 995 32 - 99 95 24
e-mail: jashi@iberiapac.ge
City Procurator:
Tengiz Makharadze
Gruziya; 380059 g. Tbilisi; Digomsky massiv, 2-oy kvartal; Prokuratura g. Tbilisi; Prokuroru MAKHARADZE T.; Georgia
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.
**********
Paris, Geneva, 29 November 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a 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:
Tel and fax FIDH +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 01 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT + 4122 809 49 39 / 41 22 809 49 29
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch
GEO 001/0111/OBS 095
Robbery of an NGO / Acts of intimidation
Georgia
29th November 2001
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint program of the FIDH and the OMCT, requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Georgia.
Brief description of the facts:
The Observatory has been informed by the Human Rights Information and Documentation Center (ISHRG) that the Marneuli regional office of the NGO “For the Protection of Human Rights and Rights of Prisoners of Georgia” was robbed on 19th November 2001.
According to the information received, the members of the organization found broken doors and their printing machine as well as various documents were taken. Although they immediately reported the robbery to the police, there has been no tangible results as of today. It is to be noted that the personal offices in Tbilisi of the head of the organization, Mr. Giorgi Lagidze had also been robbed on 15th May 2001 when various documents were taken.
The Observatory has also been informed of the attack led by Levan Pirveli, Member of Parliament and member of the Citizen’s Union, against Givi Targamadze, member of the NGO “Liberty Institute” on the night of 17th November 2001 at the restaurant “Dzveli Sakhli” in Tbilisi. Mr. Pirveli opened gunfire on Mr. Targamadze, member of the anti-corruption Presidential council that had accused him of corruption. Fortunately, Mr. Targamadze was not hurt.
Besides, the Observatory would also like to recall previous acts of intimidation targeted at human rights organizations. On 4th July 2001, the “Liberty Institute” organization’s offices were robbed and two monitors and three hard disks containing investigation data on corruption were taken. However, the police started investigating only on 21st August. On 6th July 2001, Zviad Mamasakhlisi, a representative of the ISHRG and his friend were attacked by five policemen, who severely beat them first in the street and then in the police offices.
The Observatory is gravely concerned by the multiplication of the acts of intimidation against human rights NGOs, and attacks on the freedom of the press over the last months. This can be illustrated by the police raid that took place on 30th October 2001 in the offices of the independent television channel Rustavi 2, which is very critical of the government’s policy and strongly committed to denouncing the widespread corruption. Also, the murder in July 2001 of its main figure, Géorgyi Sanaya, has remained unsolved.
Actions requested:
Please write to the Georgian authorities to urge them to:
i. conduct an impartial and thorough investigation on the incidents aforementioned, identify and prosecute the perpetrators of these acts under the existing laws;
ii. put an end to all forms of harassment of human rights defenders and their organizations, and ensure that they are allowed to carry out their work without obstacles;
iii. ensure the application of the provisions of the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms adopted on 9th December 1998 by the United Nations General Assembly, especially with respect to the protection of the right of all persons, “individually or in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels” (art. 1) as well as the duty of the State “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” (art. 12.2);
iv. ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards.
Adresses:
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
General Procurator:
Gia Meparishvili
Gruziya; 380033 g. Tbilisi; ul. Gorgosali, 24; Prokuratura Gruzii; Generalnomu prokuroru; Meparishvili, G.; Georgia
Fax: + 995 32 - 98 21 70
Ministry of the Interior:
Maj.-Gen. Kakha Targamadze
Gruziya; 380014 g.Tbilisi; ul. Generala Gia Gulua, 10; Ministerstvo vnutrennikh del Gruzii; Ministru Maj.-Gen. Targamadze, K.; Georgia
Fax: + 995 32 - 99 95 24
e-mail: jashi@iberiapac.ge
City Procurator:
Tengiz Makharadze
Gruziya; 380059 g. Tbilisi; Digomsky massiv, 2-oy kvartal; Prokuratura g. Tbilisi; Prokuroru MAKHARADZE T.; Georgia
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.
**********
Paris, Geneva, 29 November 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a 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:
Tel and fax FIDH +33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / 01 43 55 18 80
Tel and fax OMCT + 4122 809 49 39 / 41 22 809 49 29
E-mail: observatoire@iprolink.ch