Hunger Strikers ‘Quarantined’

Opposition leaders and doctors monitoring the health of hunger strikers said on March 22 that the hunger strikers outside the parliament were “quarantined” and contact with the media and even relatives had been restricted.

Opposition leaders and doctors said that the deteriorating health condition of the hunger strikers was the reason behind the decision.

There are currently 42 hunger strikers outside the parliament, according to figures posted on the opposition Conservative Party’s website.

“The authorities are fully responsible for the health and life of the hunger strikers,” Eka Beselia of the Movement for United Georgia, part of the eight-party opposition coalition, told journalists on March 22.

March 22 marks the fourteenth day in a hunger strike for five politicians from the eight-party coalition – three of whom are MPs. Others are on their thirteenth and twelfth day of hunger strike.

Six lawmakers from the New Rights Party camped just outside Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze’s office inside Parliament are on their thirteenth day (MP Irakli Iashvili joined his colleagues on March 13).

Thirteen opposition activists are on hunger strike in Zugdidi; two in Batumi and one in Kutaisi.

The opposition refuses to end the hunger strike unless the ruling party agrees to its “compromise proposal” on the rule of electing 75 majoritarian MPs in multi-mandate constituencies, instead of single-mandate consistencies as was already approved by Parliament with the final reading on March 21.

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