The State Demands the Lawn Back from IDPs

The IDPs, residing in the Kutaisi based hotel, “Mtis Broli”, have been standing in the street for the third day to protest the decision made by the central government. The government demanded them to pay the lawn back. The lawn is made up of allowances IDPs received in 1999-2004 for their participation in the Abkhazian War. Today, the government considers that the war participants or the people with equal status received the allowances illegally.

“We cannot understand what the government demands from us. They say that we have damaged the state budget. However, just the opposite - we were damaged and left out homeless in the street. Look at us, what are we looking like? Let the government reimburse our loss in Abkhazia and then they will speak about the lawns,” said disabled Shorena Chankvetadze, an IDP from Abkhazia. During the war she received a trauma on her legs and since that time she has not been able to work or keep family.

Two days ago, the disabled woman, together with other IDPs, was invited to the regional Prosecutor’s Office of the Western Georgia, where she was demanded to pay 3 000 GEL. The officials defined her that unless she paid the money, the court would sentence her to two-month pre-trial imprisonment according to plea bargain.

According to the spread information, there is a list of 265 people at the Prosecutor’s Office who have debt to the state. However, nobody comments on the fact at the Prosecutor’s Office. The IDPs doubt that the Defense Ministry demands the money from them.

“It is absolutely strange what the government is demanding from these people? I cannot observe any violations in the situation. It does not matter which government granted the IDPs with the allowances. The government acts under the law on legal heritage and consequently, it is accountable and responsible for the decisions under which the IDPs were granted with those allowances,” said Vladimer Nakashidze, member of the Kutaisi Municipality from the Republican Party.    

The allowances, IDPs of some categories received amounted 12 lari a month. “This money cannot reach 3 000 GEL. If we were granted with those allowances illegally, let them punish the people who have decided that. We have nothing to do with that,’ said the IDPs and are not going to pay the money back. They are planning to hold protest demonstrations to protect their rights in front of the building of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office of Western Georgia.

Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi