According to Besik Donadze, starting from the August 2014, he has been systematically pressured to leave his position “voluntarily”. Besik Donadze names his political affiliations as the reasons for the pressure. According to B. Donadze, Isani Gamgebeli does not let him attend the work-related meetings and tries to distance him from work. B. Donadze further states that Isani Gamgebeli does not let him inside the building and that he is being threatened with legal persecution. According to B. Donadze, up to 40 persons employed in Isani district Gamgeoba were coerced to write the statements of employment termination, citing their own initiative. The statements do not include the dates of when they were written, which gives the persons, employed at higher positions, a possibility to use those statements at any point of time. According to B. Donadze, the fate of those persons who wrote those statements is still unknown. 

As B. Donadze notes, he was pressured by Isani Gamgebeli – Vakhtang Kizikurashvili, head of the Gamgeoba administration – Nodar Gogokhia, as well as by other officials of the Gamgeoba – Jumber Akhvlediani and Gela Kvirikadze. The deputy Gamgebeli says that the latest fact of pressure against him has occurred on September 30, in the Gamgebeli’s cabinet, when, along with the Gamgebeli, he was being forced to leave his position by the Isani majoritarians of the Tbilisi Sakrebulo – Ilia Jishkariani and Zurab Neparidze.

 

B. Donadze has presented the audio records to the GYLA lawyers. One of the records contains the talk in which the following phrases can be heard: “your time has gone,” “Georgian people have made a verdict against you,” “you will have to sit with the investigator and a prosecutor,” “you will not be able to work here,” “I’ll follow you under the earth,” “1’500 persons are waiting for you to write a statement and the people above are nervous,”, etc. B. Donadze says that Gamgebeli and the Sakrebulo members said those words to him. The persons heard on the record also mention the upcoming testing cycle. It can be heard that Gela Kvirikadze (expert-consultant) addressed B. Donadze ans said that “even if you are a wunderkind, you will not pass the testing.”

 

It is notable that according to B. Donadze, the records reflect that Vakhtang Kizikurashvili expresses dissatisfaction on B. Donadze being in the “lawyers’ union” and tells him that he can name exact days and hours when B. Donadze was vistiting GYLA Tbilisi office. 

 

Coercing a person to write a statement on employment termination on their own initiative,  is prohibited and represents a punishable action under the criminal code. 

We call upon the law-enforcements to examine the pressure, exerted against Besik Donadze and to make proper response to ensure avoidance of the politically-motivated discrimination, to protect the human rights and ensure the supremeacy of the law. Any illegal action (pressure, threatening, coercion), which might take place against the public servants, working in the local self-governments, must be examined and investigated in a timely, effective and impartial manner.

 

We also call upon any public servant, in case of being pressured or in case of other illegal action, not to write the voluntary statement on the employment termination and to contact GYLA central or regional offices.