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Muslims from Pankisi Gorge Held Protest Assembly

March 17, 2014
 
Mikheil Mamalashvili, Kakheti

Muslims living in Pankisi Gorge held protest assembly. They protested unofficially established restrictions for their movement by Georgian MIA. Imam Ayuph Borchashvili from Jokolo village said young people from the Gorge including women are called to the counter-intelligence department and oppressed there.

“Our people are not allowed to travel abroad; they are refused to enter the country through custom offices at the Georgian airport without any explanations. Today, we are asking law enforcement bodies, competent people, who are we now? Are we threat for the country? Just the opposite, we always stood beside Georgian population; we have never missed any conflict here. We fought in the 2008 war too. We always protected Georgia; we know the value of peace,” one of the protesters Murad Aldamov said.

He connected oppression on ethnic Kists and Chechen refugees by the government of Georgia with the latter’s attempt to improve relationship with Russian government. “It is good to improve relationship with Russia but it should not happen at the expense of people. Whenever they took steps towards improved relationship with Russia, what benefits did they receive? - new fences, new borders. I was not summoned to the interrogation yet but every young person from the Gorge was already questioned. They are called to Telavi office and Tbilisi head office of the counter-intelligence center without any warrants. People are called on the phone. Interrogation lasts several hours, they are asking strange questions. We do not know anything about Lopota special operation. We know only what was spread by TV-channels. Everything was clear there and people must not be tortured for that purpose. We are waiting for final conclusion of this process,” Murad Aldamov said.

Reportedly, Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili several times addressed to the Minister of Interior to give well-grounded clarification to Muslim people, who are refused to either enter or leave Georgian territory, in accordance to the European standards. Despite the Ombudsman’s official petition, the Ministry has not yet responded to the Public Defender’s Office either. 

MIA responded to the protesters from Pankisi Gorge and clarified that the Ministry acted in accordance to the law. According to their statement, information about restricting the right of Pankisi Gorge population to cross the border was not true.

“The Ministry has not made official comment on the issue though I will tell you that MIA acts in accordance to the law when regulating traveling of Pankisi Gorge residents,” representative of the MIA’s public relation department Shorena Jakhua said.  

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