FILM: Documentary on Enforced Disappearances of Ossetian People in Georgia

“A Raid in the Name of Georgia” – a Documentary film about Ethnic Ossetian Citizens Persecuted by Georgian Law Enforcement Officials

On June 30 at 1:00 p.m. the Human Rights Centre will present a new documentary film “A Raid in the Name of Georgia.” The presentation will be held in the Cinema House (address: Kakabadzeebi street №2). This new documentary film demonstrates persecution of ethnic Ossetian citizens of Georgia by the government.

In October 2006 George Khetaguri was arrested and sent to prison for three years for the purchase 1 pill of Subtext. In exchange of freedom, Georgian law enforcement officials offered him to become their agent in Tskinvali. Khetaguri did not accept their proposal. He was put in prison and his family and relatives had no information about his whereabouts for 3 years.
The film also tells the story of Khatuna Charaeva from Akhalgori district who was arrested in Tbilisi while she was selling some walnuts. Charaeva was convicted for transporting of faked 30 000 US Dollars. The case files were declared as confidential. In the end, as a result of plea-agreement signed by Charaeva and the prosecutor’s office in Georgia, Georgian side handed her over to Tskinvali de facto government in exchange of some ethnic Ossetian hostages.
The journalistic investigation was supported by the European Union, Eurasia Partnership Foundation, Norwegian Helsinki Committee and National Endowment for Democracy.

Contact person: Giorgi Janelidze
Tel.: 376950; 384648
e-mail: hridc@hridc.org
web-site: www.hridc.tv; www.humanrights.ge

PR: Georgia: Violent attacks on peaceful demonstrators in Tbilisi (unhcr.org)

Publisher International Federation for Human Rights

FIDH and HRIDC joint press-release

Paris-Tbilisi, April 24, 2009 – The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisation Human Rights Center (HRIDC) express their concerns on the repeated acts of harassment and violence directed at peaceful demonstrators in the capital Tbilisi.

On April 9 2009, thousands of peaceful demonstrators from the opposition have started to gather in the capital Tbilisi, calling for the resignation of President Saakashvili. The protests are ongoing to this day.

According to information gathered by HRIDC, violent attacks on demonstrators have been occurring almost every day. Dozens of demonstrators have been attacked while on their way back home in the evening, by unknown assaillants often wearing masks and armed with batons (e.g. the popular singer Z. Manjavidze was attacked on his way back home from the protest on April 15). In most instances, the attackers rode luxury cars and used them to corner their victims and render their escape impossible (e.g. I. Khukhuneishvili, O. Chelidze, N. Archavadze and E. Baramidze had their way blocked by 3 jeeps on April 10). All attacks seem to follow the same pattern, to target specifically figures from the opposition and/or activists taking part in the protest. Testimonies point to the lack of reaction from the police, who in some cases stands accused of turning a blind eye to the attacks.

FIDH and HRIDC call upon the Georgian authorities: here >>>