Another Dismissed National Museum Employee Claims Victory in Court

Irma Managadze, another employee dismissed from the National Museum under the Ministry of Culture, stated today that the Tbilisi City Court recognized the order for her dismissal as illegal.

• 09/08/2022 – Tbilisi City Court Sides with Dismissed Museum Employee

Managadze wrote in a Facebook post that the Court ordered the Ministry of Culture to pay her compensation for the job loss and back pay, but did not rule for her to be reinstated to her post.

“But that’s okay… sooner or later, I will definitely return to the museum,” she said.

Mariam Geguchadze, Managadze’s lawyer, explained to Civil.ge that the Court ruled that restoring Managadze to her position would be impossible, which is why it ordered the Culture Ministry to compensate her instead.

The National Museum asserted a different interpretation of the ruling and stated that the Court “didn’t accept Irma Managadze’s claim for reinstatement and the payment of GEL 10,560 as compensation.” The Culture Ministry shared the same statement as well.

• 27/10/2022 – Public Defender Finds Discriminatory Treatment of Former National Museum Employees

Managadze retorted by labeling both statements as “false.” Dito Khvichia, a managing partner at Justice League – the law firm which represented Managadze’s interests – likewise remarked that the National Museum’s statement represented “brazen arrogance” that “goes beyond all limits.”

He also confirmed that the Court satisfied a “large part” of Managadze’s claim by recognizing her dismissal as illegal and ordering the museum to pay compensation and back pay.

• 02/11/2022 – Former Employees of Cultural Preservation Agency Talk “Repressive Cleansing” of Staff

The Ministry of Culture has repeatedly come under fire since the appointment of Tea Tsulukiani as Minister of Culture, who some have said maintains a policy based on keeping loyal employees and not on actual qualifications. In that context, she has often been accused of “persecuting” free opinion in the agencies under her authority and firing employees on “political grounds.”

Similar allegations surrounded Minister Tsulukiani during her time as the Minister of Justice when the agency was forced to pay GEL 332,172 (USD 114,943) to employees who were dismissed illegally.

Also Read:

• 26/10/2022 – Court Sides with Another Dismissed Ministry of Culture Employee
• 01/09/2022 – Court Sides with Dismissed Ministry of Culture Employee

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