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IDPs are Being Evicted from Hotel “Kutaisi”

April 26, 2007

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Seventy-five-year-old Natela Milorava is an IDP from Abkhazia. She has cancer and resides in a little room in the hotel Kutaisi with her husband. Her thirty-one years old son, Nugzar Milorava was commander of a Military Unit during the war in Abkhazia and he died. Another son and sister-in-law are disabled people of the second group. They live in a separate flat far from parents. The old people have been threatened to be evicted from the hotel for more than a month.

“We are terrified with so many threats and lies. We live under constant danger and we have become even weaker as our health is poor. If we leave the place where should we go, everybody has problems. They give us 4 500 USD and want to get rid of us with that money. We state loudly that they would not make us leave the hotel unless they kill us. They are wealthy people and think that they have power over everybody,” said Natela Milorava.

“Wealthy People,” as Natela Milorava said, when she applied to the Human Rights Center’s Kutaisi Office for help, are the Interinvest Ltd, the owner of the Hotel Kutaisi. The Ltd purchased 4 000 square meters of space in the center of Kutaisi at a very low price-395 thousands dollars. In August of 2005 the Ministry of Economics sold the building through tender. 88 IDP families had lived in that building. Society doubts that the parties made some ‘bargain”.

“The doubt is absolutely reasonable. Such a huge building could not have cost less than 4 million lari. Because of its location, (it is in the center of the city) one square meter of it should certainly have cost 1000 USD. It should be pointed out that similar buildings were sold in less prestigious districts for 1000-1500 USD a square meter. Thus, we doubt that there was shady transaction between parties. Somebody said that they could make IDPs leave the place for 4 500 USD quite easily and the eviction process would not cause any problems,” said Zurab Khurtsidze, the head of the Sachino, Organization for IDPs’ Rights.

IDPs refused offered compensations and demanded to double the sum. Owners of the hotel did not satisfy their demands and IDPs started permanent protest demonstrations.

“I cannot understand why they need to hold those demonstrations. The owner of the hotel offered them alternative space in exchange of the hotel but they refused. They also discussed the amount of compensation but the IDPs did not want to hear anything about it. Now it is evident that the process will cause some problems,” said Iago Balanchivadze, a representative of the Interinvesti Ltd. His prediction on future problems has already come true and IDPs have already applied to the court.

Kutaisi Civil Court started discussion of the case last week. IDPs are sure that the justice will be reached. However, they are afraid that until court passes verdict, they will already have been evicted from the hotel. “They have thought of many tricks to lead us out of the hotel, but could not succeed. They say as if they had offered us flats and added some money too. It is false. They had never offered us that. Now they have started to attack us and forcibly evict people from the hotel. Terrible things are happening here. They are blackmailing us. Tens of families have already been deceived and evicted from the hotel,” said Milorava.

Fear of the IDPs increases day-by-day. Situation gets tense in the hotel. We asked Balanchivadze “What will happen to IDPs if they do not leave the hotel on their own?” and he answered “Nothing good will happen.”

Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi

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