A Statement from the Human Rights Information and Documentation Center

The Statement of the Human Rights Information and Documentation Center

The Human Rights Information and Documentation Center (HRIDC) expresses its grave concern regarding the recent increase in the number of human rights violations.

On the morning of March 12, 2004, riot police dispersed a meeting of supporters of renounced priest Basil Mkalavishvili by using force. The meeting took place in Tbilisi. Approximately 30 people were severely beaten, mostly women, and the temple was attacked. The police operation took place before television cameras.

The Human Rights Information and Documentation Center supports the detention of Basil Mkalavishvili and other religious extremists, and hopes that the religious intolerance will be punished and eliminated in Georgia.

However, we condemn the violence and are concerned with the fact that Mkalavishvili had not been detained a day earlier, when he was holding a press-conference in the center of the city with the presence of the police, where he could have been detained without any excesses.
This indicates either the non-professionalism of the police and the ignorance of fundamental human rights, or the government’s attempt to build an atmosphere of fear in Georgia, and to terrify the society with these kind of measures.

Human Rights Information and Documentation Center condemns these Soviet-style methods of government and violence and the creation of an atmosphere of fear. We call for the protection of the fundamental rights and freedoms. The Center advocates the punishment of the religious extremists as well as the leaders and the participants of this police action.

Human Rights Information and Documentation Center