State Repossesses Disputed Buildings

Three disputed buildings in downtown Tbilisi, slated for privatization, have been repossessed by the state.

One of the buildings used to house the Union of Writers. Several media outlets operated from another and a small political party had its headquarters in one.

The Union of Writers was evicted from its 19th century premises in Old Tbilisi overnight on August 21. The Ministry of Economy claims the building is state-owned. The building was owned by a Georgian industrialist and philanthropist, Davit Sarajishvili, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He bequeathed it to writers.

The Union of Journalists, a titular organization, was also forced out on August 20, as were several newspapers, including Sakartvelos Respublika (Georgian Republic) and Akhali Shvidi Dge (New Seven Days).

Overnight on August 21 the small, opposition political party, National Independence Party, was also evicted from a state-owned building in the old part of Tbilisi. The party had been occupying the building since the early 1990s, having been assigned it by the state.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)