Protest Rally in Support of Professors Fired from State University

Elene Chumburidze

On September 7, nongovernmental organizations held protest rally in the yard of the Tbilisi Ivane Javakhishvili State University. They requested to liberate TSU from political oppression. NGO representatives stated that qualified professors are fired from the university on political grounds and it seriously damages the reputation of the state university.

According to official version, professors Lela Gaprindashvili, Davit Narmania and Nodar Khaduri failed competition of professors that became reason of their dismissal. Fired professors and representatives of NGOs state this was illegal decision and believe professors were punished for their different political opinions.

“Liberate University from Political Oppression!” “Stop Political Persecution of Professors!” “Misha, do not fight against honorable people!” – activists requested independence of the university from the government’s influence with these slogans.

Lia Mukhashavria, Human Rights Priority: “We think dismissed professors are outstanding representatives of this generation of scientists. We know them very well and their dismissal and their failure in the competition is complete illegality. We condemn ongoing process in the TSU. It is the largest, oldest and most prestigious university of our country and it will no longer maintain this high reputation unless it has qualified and really good professors.”

Dismissed professors actively cooperated with NGO sector and human rights defenders assume this decision was result of their high public activity.

“It is clear for me that these professors were fired for different political opinions,” post-graduate student of the TSU Irakli Kachiuri told humanrights.ge

Security officers of the University did not allow human rights defenders to hold rally in the yard; they prohibited journalists to cover the demonstration. They claimed demonstrations cannot be held in the TSU’s yard without permission of the administration. Human rights defenders found their demands illegal and held the demonstration.