Tbilisi City Court Partially Satisfies Claim of Former National Museum Employee

In a decision dated May 29, 2023, the Tbilisi City Court partially satisfied the lawsuit of Ekaterine Kiknadze, a former employee of the National Museum of Georgia.

The controversy surrounding Kiknadze’s case began on July 29, 2021, when she was transferred from her managerial position at the Shalva Amiranashvili Art Museum and Dimitri Shevardnadze National Gallery of Georgia to a lower-ranking position as a laboratory assistant. In addition, on January 14, 2022, as part of a reorganization process, Kiknadze was finally dismissed from her position by order of the museum director.

The Tbilisi City Court annulled the order that led to Kiknadze’s appointment as a laboratory assistant and ruled in favor of the plaintiff. As a result, the court ordered the defendant, the National Museum of Georgia, to pay Kiknadze 5,000 GEL (Georgian Lari) in compensation, recognizing the unfair treatment she received.

GYLA is representing her interests in court and says that although the Tbilisi City Court’s decision is not yet final, Kiknadze is determined to proceed. After receiving a detailed explanation of the court’s decision, she plans to continue the legal battle by appealing the aspects of the claim that were not satisfied.

According to GYLA, Kiknadze is recognized as one of the individuals who opposed the policies of the Minister of Culture. She was one of the signatories of a protest petition initiated by the group “For the Museum of Art”. The petition sought to address concerns about the preservation of a historic building, alleged unfair personnel practices, and a lack of transparency regarding public information. In a disturbing trend, several people who signed the petition, including Kiknadze, have been dismissed from their positions at the museum and the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Protection.

Response from the National Museum

The National Museum also reacted to the city court’s decision on Facebook yesterday, stressing that the court did not satisfy the request for Kiknadze’s reinstatement, as well as “back pay, establishing the fact of direct discrimination, and compensation for moral damages in the amount of 3,000 GEL as a result of discriminatory treatment.”

“Accordingly, Kiknadze lost in the main part of the court dispute, which she can appeal to a higher instance,” the museum said, adding that they are discussing appealing to a higher instance the court’s decision on the compensation to be paid to Kiknadze.

The publication of a statement with similar content on the official Facebook page of the National Museum caused protest and criticism from a large part of the public in the comments section.

Also Read:

• 09/11/2022 –  Another Dismissed National Museum Employee Claims Victory in Court
• 27/10/2022 –  Public Defender Finds Discriminatory Treatment of Former National Museum Employees
• 09/08/2022  – Tbilisi City Court Sides with Dismissed Museum Employee

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