Will the authority compensate Davit Sokolov for the damage he received during Tbilisi Civil War?

Kristine Pakhomov

On April 15, lawyer of Human Rights Center held a press-conference about the case of former TV-anchor of the Georgian Public Broadcasting Davit Sokolov. The Center requests to reimburse his damage, which he received during the 1991-92 Civil War.

According to Human Rights Center, during the civil war of December 1991 and January 1992 hundreds of Georgian citizens received significant material damage. As a result of military operations many families lost houses and stayed in the street. One of them was family of the famous TV-anchor Davit Sokolov. A special commission was established to evaluate and compensate the damage to the victims, though people have not received any compensations yet.

Lawyer of Human Rights Center Nestan Londaridze defends rights of Davit Sokolov at the court.

“Based on the notification issued on January 14, 2014, it is confirmed that Davit Sokolov’s family received material damage during the military operations in 1991-92. The total value of the damage was 81 656 USD equivalent in GEL. According to the same notification, the Sokolov’s family had to receive four-room apartment (of the value of 64 800 GEL) and 25 790 GEL in cash. The family had to receive the apartment in Kipshidze Street #5 but the contract agreement between the Tbilisi City Hall and the building company Amirani Ltd was ceased and the victimized family could not receive the apartment in the residential building. The construction activities in Kipshidze street stopped,” Nestan Londaridze said.

Nestan Londaridze added that on February 2, 2016 legal service of the Tbilisi City Hall sent letter to Davit Sokolov to notify about May 30, 2011 resolution of the Tbilisi Government, according to which a special commission was established to study the cases of Tbilisi residents victimized during 1991-92 civil war. The commission had studied the legality of the notifications issued by the previous public commission about the amount of compensations for each family and annulled the notifications. 

“According to the new decision, the commission did not annul the status of victim for the families but annulled the amount of the compensation, the family had to receive.

It is curious why the case was not studied and damage calculated since 2011. Also we would like to know whether this commission still functions and what they do. We doubt the compensation period was purposefully dragged out. Since the notifications were annulled, the victims will not receive compensations,” Nestan Londaridze said.

Davit Sokolov said he has been unsuccessfully waiting for the compensation although he holds a resolution based on which he had to receive the flat.

“I systematically petitioned to the authorities but despite their promises I did not receive compensation. They did not even inform me that the notifications on the compensation sum were annulled,” Sokolov said.