Executive Director of Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia), Eka Gigauri, plans to lodge a defamation complaint in Tbilisi City Court against Guram Adamashvili, Director of the NGO Position, and a private citizen Giorgi Khaindrava.
Serious and unfounded allegations have been voiced against TI Georgia’s Executive Director over the past few weeks. In particular, Mr. Adamashvili [1] accused TI Georgia’s Executive Director, Eka Gigauri, at a press conference held on December 30 of "having personally taken part in the dispersal of the 7 November 2007 demonstration". Furthermore, Mr. Adamashvili and, later on, Mr. Khaindrava [2] stated that while being in charge of International Relations and Legal Support, Human Resources and Finance and Logistics departments at the Border Police, Eka Gigauri handed awards to the members of the special unit participating in the breakup of the protests on 7 November 2007. And claimed that she subsequently received a promotion for this.
Position Director Guram Adamashvili has produced two Orders that he most probably obtained from the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) archives and that were later re-publicized by Giorgi Khaindrava. In the Order dated 14 November 2007, the Head of the Border Police instructs Eka Gigauri to oversee the process of handing awards to 10 employees of the Border Police Barisakho Division in Khevsureti and 8 heads of divisions (including the heads of Barisakho, Lagodekhi, and Kazbegi divisions, as well as heads of aviation and quick response divisions). Importantly, the above persons received awards for their outstanding performance in the border protection preparation work in the mountainous regions for the winter season. Mr. Adamashvili and Mr. Khaindrava produced a second Order dated 21 November 2007, by which Eka Gigauri was given the rank of captain. However, the order does not specify that Eka Gigauri received the rank for particular merits. Moreover, even if the rank had been related to any achievements, this could not have been the November 7 events, since neither Law nor her capacity allowed the Deputy Head of the Border Police to take part in handing awards to the raid participants.
It is a lie that the Border Police and Eka Gigauri had any connection whatsoever with the crackdown of 7 November 2007 protest. Neither the Georgian Legislation, nor the Border Police Regulations charge the Border Police employees with the responsibility to maintain public order. Consequently, they could not have participated in the dispersal of the demonstration. The two Orders released by Mr. Adamashvili and Mr. Khaindrava have nothing to do with each other, and the more so with the events that took place on 7 November 2007.
These statements besmirch the reputation of Eka Gigauri and TI Georgia and are meant to discredit the activities of the organization as well as the non-governmental sector, in general. Therefore, TI Georgia and its Executive Director bring an action against Guram Adamashvili and Giorgi Khaindrava to safeguard our rights guaranteed by Article 18 (2) of the Civil Code and Article 6 (1) of the Georgian Law on Freedom of Expression. As a moral compensation for slander and discrediting our honour, dignity and business reputation, Eka Gigauri and TI Georgia seek that Mr. Adamashvili and Mr. Khaindrava publicly refute the above statements through the Georgian Media, make a public apology and pay a symbolic amount of 30 Tetri.
We hope that the court decision will put an end to speculations using the highly sensitive 7 November 2007 events and prevent unleashing similar groundless accusations against NGOs. At the same time, we urge citizens to respect the dignity of the border guards, who have been worthily serving the country protecting its state borders, often endangering their lives and health.