In Zugdidi, five persons continue hunger strike for ninth day

For the ninth day, internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Abkhazia, who sewed their mouths in protest, continue their hunger strike with the demand to the Georgian Ministry of Social Protection to re-evaluate the conditions of their stay in hospital in Zugdidi. During this period, representatives of the authorities did not conduct meetings with participants of the protest action.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that IDPs from Abkhazia, accommodated at the regional hospital in Zugdidi, declared hunger strike after officials estimated their living conditions as very good. In total, 58 families are accommodated at the hospital. Officials from the Georgian Ministry for Refugees have called on the protesters to stop their action and stated that they have a chance to be resettled, but the decision will be made only upon the completion of monitoring across the country.

According to Tariel Kobaliya, a participant of the protest action, on January 30, together with him, four women from the Shoniya family sewed their mouths and take part in the hunger strike in the power saving mode.

"We live in extremely poor conditions. The hospital building is about to collapse, so we need another place for accommodation," noted Tariel Kobaliya.

In his interview to the "Odishi" TV Company (Zugdidi), Dareidjan Tskvitariya, a member of the Poti branch of the "United National Movement" (UNM) Party, has accused the authorities of the fact that they did not show proper attention to the IDPs on hunger strike.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.