Residents of Shukruti village, who have been holding a continuous protest near the Korokhnali mine in Chiatura for 174 days, have resorted to an extreme measure. Amiran Shekiladze, Giorgi Bitsadze, and Jumber Tsutskiridze have sewn their mouths shut. Additionally, four more individuals are currently on hunger strike: Janiko Labadze, Levan Kupatadze, Zviad Papidze, and Lela Gotsadze.
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On August 24, the residents of Shukruti, whose homes are being destroyed by the activities of the "Georgian Manganese" company, attempted to organize a protest march in Tchorvila, the home village of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the ruling party Georgian Dream and the informal ruler of the country. They wanted to tell Bidzina Ivanishvili that they are being oppressed by a company close to the government and that the system is fighting against them. The protesters were met by specially mobilized individuals and hundreds of police officers at the entrance to Chorvila and were not allowed to enter the village.
Thirty families living in Shukruti, whose houses are situated above the mine where Georgian Manganese previously extracted manganese, have been holding a protest for almost 6 months. Their homes and yards are being destroyed, with hollows nearly 2 kilometers long forming in the village. The affected residents are demanding an objective assessment of the damage from the company and adequate compensation. Since the start of the protest rally, work at the Shukruti mine has been halted. The company has repeatedly attempted to resume operations using physical force and police assistance but has been unsuccessful.
At the company's request, an investigation was launched against the rally participants, leading to criminal charges for three individuals. Two participants were fired. The contractor for Georgian Manganese also sued the Shukruti residents in court, seeking an injunction against the protest at the mine. The Sachkheri court granted this request. Despite this, the protest continued. Recently, the company filed a new lawsuit demanding the seizure of property from all protest participants and the payment of over 5 million GEL. The company argues that while the mine remains shut down, it continues to pay its workers and that the protesters should be held responsible for the damages. The affected Shukruti residents also filed a complaint with the Sachkhere court, seeking the annulment of the measures imposed by Judge Ivane Kipiani. However, despite the expiration of all legally established deadlines, they have not received a response from the court.
