MINELRES: Fwd: Georgia: NGO robbed and bullied

[email protected] [email protected]
Mon Jul 17 20:53:42 2006 

Original sender: Emil Adelkhanov <[email protected]>


23/06/2006

Break-in / Robbery / Harassment - GEO 003 / 0606 / OBS 080

The Observatory has been informed by the Human Rights Information and
Documentation Centre (HRIDC) that the office of the Public Movement
"Multinational Georgia" (PMMG), a non-profit NGO that notably aims at
promoting national minorities' rights and developing their integration
in the Georgian society, was broken into and robbed on June 7, 2006.

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint
programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and
the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent
intervention in the following situation in Georgia.

Brief description of the situation:
According to the information received, early in the morning on June 7,
2006, the door of the NGO's office was broken by unknown individuals who
stole the hard disks of the computers, which contained many of the
working documents of the organisation. In particular, the draft of an
alternative report on the implementation of the Convention for the
Protection of National Minorities, to be addressed to the United Nations
and the Council of Europe, was stolen, as well as documentation and
analytical materials describing situation of minorities in Georgia,
which also included analyse of authorities' policy on this item.
However, all valuable equipments were left in the office.

During the two weeks before this break-in, several staff members of PMMG
had been contacted by some representatives of the State in order to get
various documents, especially the draft of the report that had to be
addressed to the Council of Europe and the United Nations. As the PMMG
members refused to provide them with this information, State
representatives contacted PMMG partner organisations in the same
purpose, which they also refused. These organisations were then told by
the official representatives that "[they] will get it anyway".

Besides, in March 2006, the car of Mr. Arnold Stepanian, Head of the
organisation, was robbed before the organisation's office, as well as
the one of the press secretary. The two cars also contained many working
documents.

During the last two years, PMMG established close cooperation with
various minorities organisations and political groups. PMMG initiated
the " Minority Assembly " that will take place in September 2006, where
minority problems and the increasing of minority participation in the
political processes will be discussed. Due to PMMG's involvement in this
issue and its critical positions vis-a-vis the governmental policies on
minorities, several governmental non-governmental organisations (GONGOs)
tried to ostracise the organisation.

The Observatory expresses its deep concern regarding those acts, which
seem to only aim at intimidating human rights defenders in Georgia, in
particular those who try to promote and defend minorities' rights in
this country.

Actions requested:
Please write to the authorities in Georgia urging them to:

i. guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological
integrity of the members of the Public Movement "Multinational Georgia",
and all other human rights defenders in Georgia;

ii. put an immediate end to any kind of harassment against the Public
Movement "Multinational Georgia" and conduct a fair, impartial and
independent inquiry into these events, in order to identify those
responsible, bring them to justice and pronounce sentences proportional
to the gravity of their crimes;

iii. comply with the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, in
particular 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", article 5c, which
provides the right "to communicate with non-governmental or
intergovernmental organisations", and article 12.2, which declares that
"the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by
the competent authorities of
everyone, individually or 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. more generally, ensure in all circumstances the respect for human
rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human
rights instruments ratified by Georgia.

Addresses:
Mr. Mikhail Saakashvili, President, 
State Chancellery, 7 Ingorokhva Street, 
380034 Tbilisi, Georgia; 
Tel : +995 32 99 96 53; 
Fax : +995 32 99 92 00; 
E-mail: [email protected]

Mr. Konstantin Kemularia, Secretary, 
National Security Council of Georgia, 
7 Ingorokhva Street. 380034 Tbilisi, Georgia, 
Tel: +995 32 93 23 22 ; 
Fax: +995 32 98 99 72 ; 
E-mail: [email protected]

Human Rights Service of the National Security Council: 
Tel: + 995 32 93-13-22; 
Fax: + 995 32 92-35-58

Mr. Ivane Merabishvili, Minister of Interior, 
Ministry of Interior of Georgia, 
Tel: +995 32 99 62 96 / 99 80 50 / 99 95 55; 
Fax: +995 32 98 71 46 / 99 95 24; 
E-mail: [email protected]

Ms. Elene Tevdoradze; 
Head of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights Petitions and 
Relations with the Civil Society, 
Parliament of Georgia, 
8 Rustaveli Avenue. 380018 Tbilisi, Georgia; 
Tel: +995 32 99 69 51; 
Fax: +995 32 92 15 63 / 92 33 50

Mr. Gia Kavtaradze, 
Minister of Justice, 
19, Griboedov st, Tbilisi, 380008, Georgia, 
Tel: +995 32 93 27 21 / 93 50 49 / 75-82-22; 
Fax: +995 32 93 02 25 / 75-82-22; 
Email:[email protected]

Mr Zurab Adeishvili, 
General Prosecutor of Georgia, 
24 Gorgasali st, 380014, Tbilisi, Georgia; 
Tel:+995 32 98 21 54 / 93 23 44 / 93 68 45 / 99 06 68; 
Fax: +995 32 98 21 70

Mr Sozar Subari, 
Ombudsman of Georgia, 
11, Machabeli street, Tbilisi 0107, Georgia, 
Phone: + 995 32 92 39 60 / 92 24 78 / 92 24 81 / 93 15 85; 
Fax: + 995 32 92 24 70; 
Email: [email protected]

Mr. Alexander Chikvaidze, Ambassador, 
Permanent mission of Georgia to the United Nations in Geneva, 
Rue Richard Wagner 1, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland, 
Fax: + 41 22 733 90 33 ; 
Email: [email protected]

Ambassador Mr. Salome Samadaschvele, 
Diplomatic Mission of Georgia to Brussels, Belgium, 
Fax: + 32 2 732 85 47

Please also write to the diplomatic mission or embassy of Georgia in
your respective country.

***

Paris - Geneva, June 23, 2006

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: 
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel and fax FIDH + 33 (0) 1 43 55 20 11 / +33 1 43 55 18 80 
Tel and fax OMCT + 41 (0) 22 809 49 39 / + 41 22 809 49
29

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