RIA Novosti, Russia
July 27 2005

Human rights activists say discrimination in Georgia increasing

TBLISI, July 27 (RIA Novosti) – Discrimination against minorities in
Georgia is commonplace, according to new report called “Ethnic
Minorities in Georgia”, prepared recently by the International
Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), an organization based in France.

The report says minorities are migrating from Georgia to other
countries, and calls for special programs to be introduced for
teaching the Georgian language, without which ethnic minorities are
vulnerable to discrimination.

A research group has been comparing populations of ethnic minorities
in Georgia between 1989 and 2005, said Ucha Nanuashvili, head of
Georgian NGO Human Rights Information and Documentation Center.

In 1989, there were 308,000 Azerbaijanis living in Georgia vs.
284,000 today, 437,000 Armenians vs. 249,000, 341,000 Russians vs.
68,000, 52,000 Ukrainians vs. 7,000, and 15,000 Greeks vs. 15,000,
Nanuashvili said at a press conference Wednesday, citing the report.

The FIDH has become concerned with Georgia due to the number of
citizens leaving the country and seeking asylum in western European
countries.

Nanuashvili said the Georgian government has assumed responsibility
for ratifying the Framework Convention for the Protection of National
Minorities. The FIDH report has already been sent to all relevant
state departments.

The human rights campaigner says that based on the report’s findings,
a national strategy should be developed to solve the problem.