Georgian Public Defender Sozar Subeliani, who addressed the Parliament on April 21 with an annual human rights report, said that the rights of entrepreneurs in Shida Kartli region are being abused by the local authorities and accused the Governor of the region, Mikheil Kareli, of intimidating local businessmen.

“Several businessmen were forced to hand over their enterprises, as a ‘gift’ to the government after some of them were arrested under fabricated charges,” he told parliamentarians.