Georgia: Visits & Communications
Correspondence from 2003
The record of correspondence for 2003 is excerpted from the official United Nations report, E/CN.4/2003/Add.1.
Urgent appeals
On 22 July 2002, the Special Rapporteur, jointly with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders and the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, sent an urgent appeal to the Government of Georgia concerning Nugzar Sulashvili. According to the information received, on 15 July 2002 at about 11 a.m., Mr. Sulashvili, Chairman of the International Union "Centre for Foreign Citizens' and Migrants' Rights and Security", a human rights organization based in Tbilisi, and his family, were victims of an armed attack at their home. Mr. Sulashvili is a human rights activist who has been documenting and denouncing the involvement of government officials in the trafficking of persons. It has also been reported that the presumed perpetrator was arrested and immediately afterwards released without any investigation having been initiated. Mr. Sulashvili and his family, as well as other members of the organization, have in the past been victims of several acts of harassment and threats. The offices of his organization have also been vandalized by unidentified persons on several occasions, destroying equipment as well as important documentation and materials.
Communication sent
On 2 September 2002, the Special Rapporteur, jointly with the Special Rapporteur on torture, sent an allegation relating to the following cases.
Pridon Pirtakhia, a pre-trial detainee in isolator No. 5 in Ortchala prison, reportedly died on his way to hospital in the morning of 16 November 2001. He had reportedly been found with slit wrists on his bed in a communal cell. According to the head of the isolator, Nr. Pirtakhia had reportedly informed him 24 hours before his death that he intended to commit suicide. No steps were said to have been taken to place him under observation. By law, the prison authorities were reportedly under obligation to appoint a supervisor for prisoners in these circumstances. Mr. Pirtakhia was reportedly accused of crimes of a sexual nature and was believed to have been at risk from fellow inmates. Nonetheless, he was said not to have been placed in a separate cell or in a special isolation barracks, which reportedly exists at Ortchala prison. No autopsy is said to have been carried out.
Communication received
By letter dated 19 September 2002, the Government of Georgia, through its Deputy Secretary of the National Security Council on Human Rights Issues, replied to the urgent appeal sent by the Special Rapporteur jointly with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders and the Special Rapporteur on the humanrights of migrants on 22 July 2002. The Government reported that on 15 July 2002, Nugzar Sulashvili’s wife went to the police department of Vake-Saburtalo district and complained that her neighbour, Ramaz Kutaladze, had rushed into her flat with a knife and threatened her and her family. The police started an inquiry into this case and determined that it was a private dispute between the two families. The accused was called to the police on 15 July to give testimony about the incident and promised in writing that he would no longer abuse Mr. Sulashvili’s family. The case was subsequently sent to the ke-Saburtalo court where it is currently pending. The looting of Mr. Sulashvili’s office, as well as death threats against him and his family, are currently being investigated by the Vake-Saburtalo and Ristavi prosecutor’s offices. The Government further reported that the Vake-Saburtalo district police was instructed to take measures to prevent any actions threatening the physical integrity of Mr. Sulashvili’s family.
Correspondence from 1983-2002
The United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions has been corresponding with Governments regarding alleged violations since the mandate was established over two decades ago. While the Project on Extrajudicial Executions is making efforts to provide easily browsed versions of as many years as possible, much of the earlier correspondence is available only in the PDF versions of reports from 1983 to the present.