The opposition political group Coalition for Change has issued a strong statement condemning what it calls the illegal imprisonment of Aza Chilachava, a 71-year-old internally displaced woman from Gagra.
Based on the statement, Chilachava’s detention “is a manifestation of the regime’s decay and a war against Georgianness, our traditions, our identity, and our past.” The Coalition demanded her immediate and unconditional release.
The group claims that Chilachava was unlawfully detained on the orders of Bidzina Ivanishvili for blocking a road and wearing a face mask.
“Aza Chilachava, a 71-year-old IDP from Gagra who is now on a dry hunger strike, is the same woman who, during the occupation of Gagra, showed true heroism by burying fallen Georgian fighters in their native soil. Today, Ivanishvili keeps her in illegal detention for blocking a road and wearing a face mask, while the regime’s prosecutor-confirmed corrupt official, Gharibashvili, walks free,” the statement reads.
The Coalition describes her case as “a manifestation of the war against Georgianness and the moral collapse of the regime.”
For reference, Aza Chilachava was administratively detained by law enforcement yesterday on charges of artificially blocking a road. It later became known that she had begun a dry hunger strike while in custody.
Chilachava had previously faced administrative liability for a similar act but was then issued only a verbal warning.
Header image: Aza Chilachava/Radio Liberty
