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Compiled by Sopho Datishvili
Monday, September 15
Why is the questioning of Shalva Natelashvili prolonged?

Sakartvelos Respublika reports that the leader of the Labour Party, Shalva Natelashvili, has asked the Department for Constitutional Security to call him in for questioning.

Shalva Natelashvili says the court hasn’t asked him to attend yet, but he has asked the Constitutional Security Department to begin questioning him. He has even sent a letter to the Investigations Branch of the Constitutional Security Department, which reads as follows.

“You’re holding an investigation, according to the order of Saakashvili, that is a politically motivated provocation. You have also arrested Archil Benidze without reason, claiming he was laundering money, thou you have nothing to prove this. I have had the privilege of looking through the court files about Archil Benidze, where I found my name listed as the leader of a criminal group. You and your political leadership are responsible for this lie.

Still I’m not questioned, in spite of my readiness and desire to be so. Moreover, for requesting this in public I was fined and thrown out of the hall…. I demand that you question me immediately. I will thereby demonstrate one more time what conditions this country is in under the Saakashvili Government.

The Council of Europe, the US Congress and other international organizations will be informed about the deeds and political repression of your Government. My report contains 386 pages and will be posted to them.”



US will also help Armenia

Sakartvelos Rspublika writes that according to US House Majority Leader Brad Sherman, Armenia has lost 680 million USD as a result of the Georgian-Russian conflict. He declared this during a debate in Congress about ‘the interrelation of the US and Russia after the crisis in Georgia’ organized by an international commission.

Sherman declared that financial assistance would be provided for Armenia. US Deputy State Secretary in Euro-Asian Affairs Daniel Fried has confirmed that Armenia will receive extra financial assistance from the US. The previous week the Armenian Assembly of America had asked Congress for this assistance.



Kindergartens in Tbilisi may be unable to reopen for months

24 Saati reports that according to Mamuka Katsarava, refugees from Shida Kartli will remain in nursery schools until alternative locations are found or they return to their homes. This process may take several months.

It is intended that the nurseries will reopen as usual when the refugees no longer need the space. However parents and teachers don’t agree with the decision of City Hall. They say there is enough room in the kindergarten buildings for both refugees and the normal work of the schools.

Mamuka Katsarava says that most of the kindergartens aren’t able to fulfil both tasks at once. “The duty of each citizen is to respond sensibly to the refugees and the situation in the country,” he says. He also declares that special day centres will be opened with primary and secondary school buildings and that parents will be able to take their children there.