Georgian Parliament official: UNM established system of torture, blackmail and business intimidation

Archil Gorduladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs, said on Monday that the United National Movement (UNM) had established and developed a system of killings, torture and other forms of violence during its time in power, with abuses extending beyond isolated incidents to become systematic and widespread.

Speaking at a Constitutional Court hearing concerning the possible banning of political parties, Gorduladze alleged that the party’s rule had been characterized by illegal surveillance, blackmail, intimidation of businesses and the seizure of media outlets.

He also accused the former ruling party of illegally collecting private material about individuals across nearly every segment of society, including inmates who were subjected to violence, rape and degrading treatment, which was filmed and subsequently used for blackmail.

“While in power, the United National Movement established and developed a widespread practice of illegal surveillance and wiretapping, as well as the unlawful creation, storage and use of video, audio and photographic material depicting people’s private lives. This practice affected almost every segment of society, including numerous people held in penitentiary institutions. Footage of violence, rape and degrading treatment inflicted on inmates was recorded and used to blackmail them”, Gorduladze said.

He added that the party had also established a system of property extortion and violations of ownership rights.

“During the same period, numerous illegal attacks were carried out against businesses, and people were unlawfully forced to relinquish their property. The party also terrorized and seized control of print, online and television media”, he said.

Gorduladze further accused the United National Movement of taking actions that contributed to the occupation of Georgian territories, focusing in particular on its support for a resolution adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on October 2, 2008, two months after the August war with Russia.

“Beginning in 2004, the United National Movement systematically and consistently pursued actions and measures that contributed not only to the occupation of Georgian territories”, Gorduladze continued.

He cited Paragraph 5 of the resolution, which states that the conflict escalated into a new phase of open and full-scale hostilities when Georgian forces began shelling Tskhinvali without prior warning on August 7, 2008.

Gorduladze also referred to Paragraph 11, which states that the indiscriminate use of force and weapons in civilian areas by both Georgian and Russian military forces could be considered war crimes requiring a thorough investigation.

“By voting in favor of these provisions, the United National Movement either contributed to undermining Georgia’s territorial integrity and acknowledged it, or failed to act and accepted responsibility for it. In either case, this constitutes a betrayal of the state’s interests”, Gorduladze concluded.