Students Occupy TSU Chancellery, Call for Release of Chikobava, Khasaia
On January 26, students, including those from the May Student Movement, occupied the chancellery of the Tbilisi State University, demanding the release of Akaki Chikobava and Giorgi Khasaia, both of whom had been sentenced to pre-trial detention for allegedly acting in a group to damage the car of the National Enforcement Bureau during the Kekelidze Street eviction standoff with the authorities.
The students are also calling for halting the eviction of people from their “only home” and for the TSU administration to issue an official statement in support of Khasaia and Chikobava. A similar call was made to Ilia State University, where Khasaia is a PhD student. Chikobava teaches at TSU.
The students refuse to leave the Chancellery until their demands are met.
They are calling on the university to go on strike and the professors to join the students. “The expulsion of a family from their only home and the arrest of people who show solidarity with them is the direct consequence of the economic policies that plunge us, the population, into debt every day…” said the May Student Movement in a video recorded inside the TSU Chancellery.
Today, a protest was held in the courtyard of the Tbilisi State University as well. Among others, the protesters included both students and the Khma (Voice) movement. Both Giorgi Khasaia and Akaki Chikobava are co-founders of the movement.
“If there is a threat against us that two of our members will be sent to prison for three to six years, we can escalate to a more serious threat. We will declare that today the university will stop, tomorrow something else will stop that I don’t want to reveal yet, and finally Georgia will stop until Giorgi Khasaia and Akaki Chikobava are released and the evictions stop,” said a protester identified by publika as a representative of the Khma movement.
TSU Statement
On January 27, Tbilisi State University issued a statement saying that it is “interested” in the case of its invited lecturer Akaki Chikobava. TSU said that if Chikobava’s family and lawyer request it, the professors are ready to appeal to the relevant authorities and stand bail for him.
“At the same time, the language of ultimatums and destructive actions that harm university’s authority, hinder the educational process and, in general, university life, are unacceptable,” TSU said, adding that “we believe that dialogue is possible only if it returns within the framework of university ethics.”
This article was updated on 27/01/2024 at 21:45 to reflect TSU’s statement.
- 24/01/2024 – National Bureau of Enforcement Postpones a Family Eviction
- 23/01/2024 – Police Physically Assault Journalists During Eviction Standoff, Detain One
- 23/01/2024 – Police Face Fierce Resistance as They Evict a Family in Tbilisi
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