Human Right NGOs, Public Defender Slam Authorities for Chechens’ Round-Up

(Tbilisi, Civil Georgia, December 9, 2002) – Georgian human rights advocacy NGOs and Public Defender criticized the law enforcer officials for the anti-crime operation in Tbilisi, which was followed with the massive round-up of the ethnic Chechens living in Georgian capital Tbilisi.

During the night of December 6 to 7 law enforcers took in dozens of Chechens, including women to be fingerprinted and interrogated.

“I send the request to the Parliamentary Committees on Human Rights and Legal Issues to hold a special hearing on the fact and raise the issue of responsibility of the Interior and State Security Ministers,” Nana Devdariani, Georgian Public Defender said at the briefing today.

Nana Kakabadze of NGO Former Political Prisoners for Human Rights said that representatives from the Russian Federal Security Service participated in the anti-crime operation, which directed against the ethnic Chechens.

Georgian President Shevardnadze hailed the operation today and said that the law enforcers’ move was inevitable and necessary as the terrorist acts were anticipated in the capital city. He said that the Chechen refugees should not be irritated with the operation.

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