Rebel in Guria

Shorena Ghlonti, Ozurgeti

On December 10, about 200 traders of Ozurgeti agricultural market went on strike and blocked railway road in Ozurgeti Railway Station. Because of the rally, Ozurgeti-Tbilisi train arrived three hours late in the capital.

The traders got astonished because of the current situation in agricultural market. The traders suddenly discovered that the market-gate was removed and the security guard was not on the place. They say most part of their goods they had left in the market store-house was stolen.

About 200 traders went to the Railway Station and blocked the railway road. They demanded meeting with Ozurgeti district governor and Guria regional governor. Instead, representatives of the Guria regional prosecutor’s office and almost entire personnel of Ozurgeti district police department arrived at the place. Ozurgeti district governor Avtandil Mekvabishvili came to meet traders because prosecutor asked him to come. The prosecutor explained to demonstrators that blocking the railway road is criminal offence and they should have discussed the problem with the regional governor. Demonstrators accepted his proposal and stopped their protest.

Negotiation with Guria regional governor Valeri Chitaishvili ended without results. Traders told him they do not agree with the decision of the local government and they want to maintain the old function of agricultural market. Local officials do not take the request of traders into consideration, and categorically state they will not have right to trade with agricultural products because the market is now property of district administration. Regional governor also shares this opinion.

After the meeting with the regional government, police started criminal prosecution against organizers of the rally and detained 5 men. Initially, they were sentenced to ten-day administrative imprisonment. Family members of the detainees do not know whether they will be charged under Criminal Code of Georgia or not.

Spokesperson of the Guria regional department of the MIA Maia Giorgadze does not comment on the fact.

In the morning of December 11, police took ten female traders to the police station from the market under force. However, traders managed to inform local media and non-governmental organizations about incident.

Representative of the Human Rights Center witnessed the following incident near the police station: policemen tried to drag the women into the building and the traders resisted them. The policemen did not explain to the women about which case they were to be interrogated.

In the morning, the police managed to interrogate two women who remained in the police station for a long time. The released trader said her interrogation started at 10:00 am and investigator Asatiani had not explained to her about what case she was being questioned and what was her status in that case. “I do not know what was my status – witness or a suspect. They just told me that blocking of central railway roads is criminal offence and the crime is punished by imprisonment from 3 to 7 years,” said the trader when she left the police station.

The disagreement about Ozurgeti agricultural market started long time ago and it still continues. The society does not know what the local authority is going to do with the market. The entity is not on privatization list and neither its further function is clarified yet. The officials of the district and regional administrations state the agricultural market will be removed. Traders of the market protest this decision. Part of them connects unclear position of local officials with the visit of the first lady in Ozurgeti. Sandra Roulovs liked the territory of the agricultural market and similar market should not be located there.

One of these days a new office of Guria regional police department will be opened in Ozurgeti. President Mikheil Saakashvili will attend the opening ceremony. The traders threatened to fail the traditional presentation several days ago. It is difficult to say whether they will manage it or not.