Dimitri Lortkipanidze: The ethnic minorities should know that their Capital is in Tbilisi and not in Baku or Yerevan

The parliamentarian Dimitri Lortkipanidze is amazed by the fact that even during the world economic crisis Georgian authorities manage to build up several new jails and behind these activities he foresees the threat of further increase of jail population and consequent foreign grants.i

- Mr. Dimitri, in one of the newspaper interviews you mentioned about mass torture of jail population taking place in prisons. . .

- Yes, the mass and permanent torture takes place when 50 prisoners are accommodated on twenty beds; also when they are closed from 8 p.m. to 11-12 a.m. next day and cannot breathe enough oxygen to satisfy physiological needs! Forcing people to live in such conditions means conducting torture and hidden terror, and as I’ve already mentioned, such attitude has a permanent character! Overcrowded jails are not news for us, of course; but when I met with my Moldavian colleagues I was ashamed so much. . .

- Why?

- Even in the period of Soviet Georgian Republic, when the population of the country equaled almost 5.5–6 millions the Jail population here did not exceed 11 thousand people. Today we have more than 20 thousand prisoners, unfortunately nobody puts the question: what’s up? Why do we have so many prisoners? Do you remember the President’s appeal to the law enforcement bodies from the tribune of the parliament: “zero tolerance, no conditional sentences, send everyone to jail”? So look, what the appeal means: the function of the independent court is executed by the single person – the president of Georgia and it was expressed in two words: “everyone to jail!” Indeed it was successfully accomplished, otherwise how can we explain imprisonment of 20 000 people?

- By the way, the experts foresee connections between the increased number of jail population and foreign grants; what do you think about that?

- This idea does not fall far from the reality and I will explain why: as far as we know “IPAP” Program was the first step before affiliating NATO, or before receiving “MAP”! According to “IPAP” program Georgia should have built up new penitential facilities, that would be great taking in consideration the conditions established in the similar facilities then. New penitential facilities built according to EU standards would be foreseen very helpful until the quantities of such constructions became enormous. This is the subject of concern!

Today, in the village Laituri of Ozurgeti district construction of another new penitential facility for 20 000 prisoners takes place!  Mobilization of sufficient funds for the construction from the state budget is something unimaginable. It seems, there are other funding sources as well. For example, already completed Rustavi penitential facility #6 and Rustavi penitential facility #1being under construction are financed through EU grants. The construction of high class facilities itself is not bad, but I would not wish to see the majority of Georgian population imprisoned and the existing tendency toward prisoners and potential prisoners prolonged in Georgia!

- They say that new amnesty is planned from September. . . Such humane act may be connected with elections, because the released prisoners and their relatives create valuable reserve of “votes” for the authorities. . .

- Let me remind you that the “Pardon board” is not authorized to accept the applications from the offenders of felony until they have served half term of their sentences; for less misdemeanor – they have to have served one third of the sentence. 300 prisoners were granted pardon in December 2008 through the president’s immediate participation and signature, except those who according the rules should have been pardoned in half of the term. Later, the president said that “in future the stolen by lists will not work”, but the question why did it happen – have not been answered! However, among the pardoned presidetially prisoners were offenders sentenced by clauses 109, 103, 179 and 178 of Criminal Code. You might also remember that the authorities felt quite uncomfortable after the severe criticism from our side and society.

- Mr. Dimitri, there are rumors about the possibility of releasing 28 political prisoners in near future. Do you hold any information about that?

- The international federation of human rights protection at EC has already sent the first signal about starting revision of “pilot cases” in Georgia! Their concluding remarks say following: the conditions of these prisoners are very close to infringement of declarations regarding protection of human rights, in which case a person under mentioned conditions could be considered a political prisoner!  It means that the federation does not directly conclude that there are the political prisoners, but directly points out that through recommending the EC and our government to revise the cases. The government behaves like an ostrich, but I wonder why the international organizations are not challenged by the findings of the international federation of human rights protection? I hope that “Human Rights Watch” and “Amnesty International” will start working on the issue and present their conclusions.

- Incidentally, many prisoners have been released in Azerbaijan by means of immediate recommendations from the mentioned international organizations. . .

- On 9-th of February 17 000 prisoners were granted pardon by the initiative and co-participation of Mrs. Mehriban Alieva, the spouse of the President Ylham Aliev. Our society should be aware that this is already the third act of pardon taking place in Azerbaijan during last 5 years. . . However Georgian government is not hurrying to decrease the number of prisoners and the answer on the consequent question “why?” could be hidden in those shadow activities connected with the construction of jails and the “grants” and frauds thereto!

- Could you explain why did your candidacy fail for the position of an Ombudsman and what was the condition precedent? There are rumors saying that your failure was caused by your negative attitude toward the “gay parade”, is it true?

- Let’s talk without shirking, ok?

- Ok.

- Please, be sure that my candidacy was supported by quite influential MPs. Let me not to name them today due to the known purposes. I was supported by majority MPs too, but the character of the odious NGOs acting on behalf of liberty and ruling our government through the grants and programs that are not fully acceptable for the development of our country, created the ground and entailed what happened!!! I did not make any scandal statements in my program speech. The first and priority topic was related to Prisoners and protection of human rights; 2. Revival of Chamber of Language and protection of the State Language; (there are zero outputs from the studies and researches of the state language and languages of ethnic minorities, for which the government had allocated huge amounts). 3. Issue of cultural intervention – to make the ethnic minorities living in our country know that their Capital is in Tbilisi and not in Baku or Yerevan, as they are taught by the programs approved in the neighboring countries, and etc. And in the last topic, to answer the question addressed to me, I said: “It is our duty to protect rights of all people born with physical defects, who belong to sexual minorities. But, in the circumstances when their conduct entails direct harm to the public interests, we are responsible to make such conduct punishable!” Can you find anything vague or opposing the internationally recognized declaration in my words? If they can find anything similar, they should present their arguments and condemn me!!! From my personal point of view nobody can convince me to apply a blind eye on “gay parades” and other “gay things”!

Interviewer
Irine Gogosashvil