Amnesty Says Concerned over IDPs Eviction
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 29 Jan.'11 / 23:45

Amnesty International expressed concern that recent evictions of internally displaced families "failed to meet international standards."

"In particular, Amnesty International is concerned that the authorities failed to give adequate prior notice to those evicted, to ensure that all those eligible were provided with financial assistance prior to their removal, and to give full and unhindered access to monitors. Amnesty International is also concerned by reports that not all the alternative housing offered to those evicted by the government fully meets the standards of adequate housing," the rights group said on January 28.

About six hundred IDP families were evicted from some twenty two buildings in Tbilisi since January 20. These families, many of them displaced from Abkhazia as a result of conflict in early 1990s, occupied those buildings without the government's permission since the August, 2008 war. There were families among them, who were displaced as a result of the August war as well.

According to the Transparency International-Georgia, which is monitoring IDPs housing process, this complex problem involving eviction, resettlement and providing monetary compensation "are politicized, generalized and misunderstood." According to this watchdog group one of "the biggest shortcomings" has been government’s failure to publicly acknowledge complexity of the issue and to explain how and why it makes decisions on issues such as eviction.

"More effective public communication about decisions would go a long way towards allaying the public’s concerns," it said.

Civil.Ge © 2001-2024