Ombudsman Voices Concern over Property Rights Abuse

Georgian Public Defender Sozar Subari said on December 22 that there are ?many cases? of property right abuses by the authorities.

?Many cases of this kind are described in the [Ombudsman?s] report [on human rights in Georgia], which was submitted to the Parliament in October,? Subari told RFE/RL Georgian service.

The Parliament has postponed hearings on the report until next year. Subari said that it seems ?there is not much willingness from the ruling majority to hold hearings on the issue.?

He also said that there have been cases involving the destruction of privately owned buildings in Tbilisi by the municipal authorities under the pretext that the buildings were harmful to the city.
 
?There was one case where officials from the Tbilisi municipality were trying to destroy a building in Tbilisi?s Saburtalo district, but the owner of that building went to the court. This meant that officials had no right to continue with their intention because a claim was brought to court against their plans, but regardless of this the building was destroyed anyway by the municipal officials,? Subari said.

He said that problems related with property rights started to emerge in 2004.

?I described in my previous reports how plots of land and buildings, which were absolutely legally privatized, were confiscated from persons in Gori,? Subari added.

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