With the help of Rights Georgia, J.G., a citizen of Iran, was granted refugee status in Georgia. The court case against the Migration Department of the Ministry of Interior lasted 8 years.
While living in Iran, J.G. worked at a training center and taught blogging. He has published 2 books and is the author of numerous articles.
He spoke openly about the protests and movements after the presidential elections in Iran and gave interviews to such media as VOA. He published articles and blogs on the political and socio-economic structure of Iran. He expressed his desire to actively cooperate with America and implement changes in Iran's political system and signed petitions sent to the U.S. president.
Iran's security services have been trying to cooperate with the blogger since 1996, asking him to provide information about his students and associates. In 2009, his educational department was closed. In 2010, the security service accused him of collaborating with anti-Islamic organizations and arrested him.
An Iranian blogger was temporarily released from detention in exchange for real estate as a guarantee and left the country, fearing that he would be arrested again for his activities and that his life would be in real danger.
He lived in Armenia. In September 2015, after a disagreement with the Iranian authorities and a person connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, he came to Georgia and applied for asylum.
The administrative body did not consider that he would be at risk of arrest and execution if he returned to Iran, and twice denied him international protection status in 2016 and 2021.
The decision of the Migration Department of the Ministry of Interior was appealed again in 2022, and finally, through the efforts of Rights Georgia lawyer Nino Khetsadze, the Tbilisi Court of Appeal granted the Iranian blogger international protection on June 30, 2023.
Rights Georgia provided free legal assistance to the Iranian beneficiary under the UNHCR-funded project "Protecting and Empowering Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Humanitarian Status Holders, and Stateless Persons in Georgia".
The killing of Mahsa Amini by the police has caused a wide reaction among Iranians and even the world. The story of this murder is a reminder of all kinds of methods of repression against the people of Iran and genocide in the country. Every Iranian, upon hearing the story of Mahsa, reviews a part of himself or relatives' life in it.
The Morality Police is a massive institution of repression
The Morality Police is a repressive institution that oppresses various groups, including women and youth, with violent methods. The special patrol of this institution which is known as the Gashte Ershad (guidance patrol) is responsible for arresting people and transferring them to special detention centers. Daily observations indicate the violent behavior of the officers along with cursing and beating the arrested, of which numerous videos and reports have been published on social networks, but these are only part of the suppression process.
The rough behavior of The Morality Police with a woman
Those taken to detention centers may be subjected to more abuse than what is seen on the street. Morality Police Detention Center in Tehran is located in Khalid Islambouli Street , which is known as Vozara among the people. This street is named after Khalid al-Islambouli who planned and participated in the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.
One of the employees of Vozara Detention Center has told me that some of detained women are raped every night in this place. According to him, they announce conditions for a person's freedom, which often requires the presence of one of the person's relatives in the detention center, such as the condition of paying a fine in the bank. In this way, the people who are "poor" are identified and have to spend the night in the detention center, in this case, most of the detainees are sexually assaulted. When I asked the employee of the detention center why you didn't report the issue to the higher authorities, the answer was that everyone knew, they agreed with these violations which was actually a reward for the officers to have more motivation to work.
Although complete sexual assault is one of the worst and most severe tortures, other tortures should not be underestimated. Stripping and touching are common tortures both during arrest and in detention centers. Verbal violence., shouting at the arrested person, harsh tone in the conversation, throwing objects and other types of torture are regularly applied. As many of the arrested said until a few days later, they had been depressed since their arrest. For some, the bitter memory of arrest and torture lingers for years and in some cases leads to mental illnesses.
- How many people are tortured by the Morality Police?
There are no reliable statistics. Only sometimes, the authorities have talked with the media about a special operation during which tens of thousands of women were treated with "bad hijab". What we do know is the Gashte Ershad (guidance patrol) are everywhere, in all cities & towns . Every day, hundreds of people can be seen in front of the Vozara, waiting for the free their relatives. When we consider that these arrests are taking place in the whole country and especially in all large cities, then it will not be an exaggeration if we estimate that several hundreds of thousands of Iranians are tortured every year by the moral security police, most of whom are women.
Where else in the world is the torture of hundreds of thousands of women per year only by one institution? However, morality police is not the only institution of repression in Iran. It is estimated that more than 15 million people were tortured by the moral police during Khamenei's rule, yes more than 15 million.
Institutions of repression in Iran
When it comes to repression in Iran, it is often referred to institutions that deal with street protests, such as Naja Special Unit, Basij , Thar-Allah Headquarters, etc., while people always face repression institutions in their work and daily life. Disciplinary committee of universities, security department in government offices and dozens of other organizations are in practice suppressing citizens. For example, special police officers visit clothing stores from time to time and considers punishments for that unit on the pretext that it offers clothes that are unconventional and against the norms of the Islamic society. In general, it can be said that for every type of activity, organization and campaign in Iran, a suppression and control unit has been established, so that people may be attacked even in their homes and at parties.
Along with the public repression devices, some forces also maneuver in the city, their organizational identity and official position is not public. These groups are called by names such as Hizbollah or Velayatmadar , etc.
- How many Iranians have been tortured or harassed by these repressive institutions?
It has become common among Iranian people that there is no one who has not been hit by this system. According to my own observations, if you ask any Iranian who is not connected to the high power pyramid where he was hit by the government, he will tell you a memory or memories. In addition, the government has not shown mercy to the insiders and upper circles in many cases and imposed punishments such as house arrest or even killing themselves or their children.
Suppression in abnormal life
Suppression and harassment of citizens by the government is applied in a situation where people's lives in Iran are accompanied by all kinds of other difficulties. Corrupt and inefficient government offices, inability of the government in times of crisis such as floods and earthquakes, inefficient medical health system, prevalence of crime and addiction, widespread poverty and hundreds of other problems that plague the people. The set of these conditions has turned life in Iran into a hell that tens of millions of people say that they want to leave the country forever if the conditions are created and thousands of Iranians go through dangerous roads by crossing the sea and mountains.
Different regions in Georgia have their own dances, including the Racha region, whose dance is called rachuli. This dance is performed with special music called rachuli music. The dancers often wear a special costume which is the traditional costume of the Racha region. Men and women participate in the rachuli dance together, but their traditional clothes are different.
Racha (რაჭა) is a high area in the northwest of Georgia. Two cities, Oni and Ambrolauri, are located in this area. Residents of Racha are known to be slow among Georgians, but on the contrary, rachuli dance is very fast and dynamic. Rachuli music and dance often starts with a slow rhythm but gradually accelerates to a dizzying speed.
In rachuli music, an instrument called gudastviri is used, which has different types. In Racha, it is called stviri. The stviri is made from the skin and horn of a sheep
PM Garibashvili meets with Carl Hartzell to hand over the EU Questionnaire's Second Part. Photo: Georgian Government's Press Office
Georgia Submitted the second part of the EU membership questionnaire on May 10. This part contains several questions about asylum process so we can expect improvement in this field.
These are list of questions in EU Questionnaire for Georgia:
Q. Please provide information on legislation or other rules governing the asylum policy.
Q. Describe the asylum procedure at first and second instances:
a) Normal, exceptional (for instance border) and accelerated procedures;
b) Provide number and types of appeals during the last five years;
c) Explain which bodies are competent for each type of appeal possible to make use of;
d) Provide assessment of the average duration of the procedures;
e) Identification of services involved and number of staff dedicated to asylum procedures;
f) Methodology for gathering country of origin information.
Q. Is any of the following concepts applied, and if yes, how?
a) Safe third country;
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b) Safe country of origin;
c) Manifestly unfounded claims.
Q. Describe the procedural guarantees for asylum applicants:
a) Information provision, interview, right to counsel and representation,
interpretation/translation;
b) Independence of review and appeal procedures;
c) Specific procedural guarantees applicable for unaccompanied minors.
d) Measures for vulnerable applicants.
Q. What concept of protection is applied in Georgia?
a) How are the five grounds in article 1A and the exclusion clauses of Article 1F of the 1951
Geneva Convention (GC) applied?
b) Are non-state agents of persecution included in the understanding of the refugee definition of
Article 1A GC?
c) Are subsidiary protection(s) or other forms of humanitarian protection in place?
d) Is there a temporary protection system to deal with mass influx of displaced persons?
Q. What are the services competent for the application of provisions for determining the State
responsible for the examination of an asylum application and for recording and processing the
fingerprints of asylum seekers in this connection (with a view to possible future implementation of
the Dublin III and Eurodac-regulations)?
Q. Describe the registration and identification (including IT) systems for asylum applicants.
Q. Describe the system of reception conditions for asylum applicants, including distribution in
reception centres/ financial allowances to ensure an adequate standard of living for applicants. Please
explain what is the mechanism of referral (e.g. to child protection authorities in the case of
unaccompanied minors), safeguards and guarantees for vulnerable persons, including minors in
reception centres and in case detention measures are applied.
Q. Describe the framework for cooperation with UNHCR, IOM, UNICEF and NGOs.
Q. Describe the system put in place to collect data and statistics on asylum and refugee movements.
Q. Describe the activities related to practical cooperation with other countries that the asylum
authorities are engaged in (for instance: exchange of country of origin information, organisation of
seminars, study visits, etc.)
The Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee of parliament of Georgia discusses the Bill on International Protection in an expedited manner. According to the bill expulsion of refused asylum seeker shall be admissible.
According to one of the initiators of the Bill on International Protection, Guram Macharashvili the foreign citizen or a stateless person shall not be considered an asylum-seeker and shall not be subject to the non-expulsion principle as stipulated under the Law if his/her application for the commencement of the asylum procedures and repeated international protection has been declined under the individual administrative-legal act, parliament.ge reports.
“The extradition of a hereof person to a foreign state or his/her expulsion from Georgia shall be admissible. The same regulations shall apply in case of the recall of the claim or the appeal by the asylum-seeker, appeal of the Court ruling on the hereof claim, and the re-appeal to the Court concerning the international protection”, - the reporter noted.
The Bill stipulates that the foreign citizen or a stateless person shall be entitled to re-submit the application for international protection in case as well if the extension of his/her humanitarian status has been declined. The Bill also specifies the decision-making rule concerning the repeated application for international protection. The foreign citizen or a stateless person shall get through the interview if necessary. MPs expressed their positions and remarks.
Two of the most popular supermarkets in Tbilisi are "Ori Nabiji" and "Spar", which can be found in any area near you. In comparison, prices are usually lower in Ori Nabiji. Spar supermarkets are open 24 hours a day, but most of Ori Nabiji's branches are open only until 10 pm.
An overview of Tbilisi supermarkets:
- Ori Nabiji: Cheap store suitable for daily and partial purchases. Most fresh meat and ready meals are not available in the branches of this store. The working hours of the branches are up to 22.
- Spar: It has 24-hour branches. You may see interesting and sometimes shocking discounts in this store.
- Fresco: Cheap store, 24 hours, It also offers ready meals and fresh meat
- Carrefour: It has good prices, but because of the long cash queue, it is not recommended for small purchases.
- Nikora: Available for partial purchases, 24 hours.In the branches of this store, you sometimes see special products that are only for Nikora.
In Geogian language Ori Nabiji means 2 Steps which refers to developed network of stores. Ori Nabiji is one of the prominent leaders in the field of Georgian retail trade, which was the first to operate in the district store format in 2010. From this time on, the network is expanding.
"Ori Nabiji" is presented in up to 350 stores across the country. It a large employer in the labor market, currently the company has about 2,000 employees.
Spar appeared in the Georgian market in 2005 and today is one of the most stable retail chains. It’s positioned as a European brand with high-quality products and services. The company’s main goal is to be oriented toward development and satisfy the basic and local needs of the customers. Spar Georgia is represented with up to 320 units around the country and is one of the largest employers in the labor market. Nowadays the company has more than 2000 staff members.
Spar Georgia offers the largest selection of European goods and products of exclusive brands. Additionally, the company provides a large assortment of its own products.
Goodwill" is the first hypermarket chain in Georgia. Offers a comfortable environment, a wide choice of products and constant quality control. It is distinguished by the delicious ready-made dishes, meat products and confectionery of its own production. Goodwill is one of the largest importers of food and non-food products from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, France, Bulgaria and Ukraine. Has more than 300 corporate clients. We also offer the highest quality catering and holiday services.
The idea of opening a supermarket chain came to Georgian businessman Mr. Vasil Sopromadze in 2010, when he was visiting Georgia for a few days. His main task was to create the same comfortable and high-standard shopping facility for the residents of the outer districts of Tbilisi as it could be in any other central district.
At that time, there was no Georgian company on the Georgian retail market that would offer customers:
The highest quality products
24 hours service
Comfortable environment
Free parking
Well arranged cafe and
Product variety
It was very important for Mr. Vasil Sopromadze to have a fully independent company, which would be 100% located in the territories belonging to Fresco and would not have any bank liabilities.
Carrefour opened its first hypermarket in Georgia in 2012, and currently operates over 250 hypermarkets, supermarkets, and online stores in 15 countries across the region, with plans to extend into 38 countries in the Middle East, Central Asia, Africa and Russia.
Nikora Supermarket appeared on the market in 2000. The company has been actively developing over the years and today it is the most numerous network in Georgia. The company is underlined by the high ratio of employees, which according to the latest data has exceeded 6000.
JSC Nikora Trade is the first trading company to successfully issue $ 5 million worth of bonds on March 21, 2016 with the support of JSC Galt & Taggart. The term of the bonds is 2 years, the interest rate is 11% of the annual nominal value. Interest payment will be made twice a year. The placement agent Galt & Taggart ensures that Nikora Trade bonds will be admitted to the Georgian Stock Exchange in the near future, all of which will ensure the transparency of the company.
There are some investigating organizations that are observers for acquiring illegal or dirty money. A person must have some money or asset to be investigated, yes? but recently I understand that poor people can be object for those organizations and their officers, questioning how have they survived.
Please pay attention to this true story about an asylum seeker living in difficult conditions in Tbilisi : On February 9th, about in the noon the door of his home was knocking. Three officers and a interpreter came inside to inspect his home. They confiscated his computer and all documents and took him to office, just there he understood they were officers of investigation service in ministry of financial. He was under interrogation until 8 pm o'clock. One interesting question which was repeated: "you are unemployed how you earn money?". In my opinion it means people who are alive in poorness and try to survive can be suspected even if no one complains about them.
Note that in Georgia, asylum seekers have the least social services or, better yet, no such services. Instead of thinking about improving or providing social services for the group, the government seems to be worried about how they still remain and are not dead.
Access to legal services and consultation with a certified public accountant is expensive. Free and public law firms are often reluctant to enter into such cases, nor do they believe that tax authorities will inspect the homes of the poor and confiscate their meager property. I do not know if there are similar problems for the poor in other countries or not, but this is definitely an issue in Georgia. Aware of this situation, I am more determined than ever to carry out the "empowerment project for asylum seekers".
