Miners to Kobakhidze: It's Your Obligation to Care for the People Who Elected You

Seven miners have been on hunger strike for 16 days now. Two of them, Mirza Loladze and Tariel Mikatadze, have transitioned to a dry hunger strike, and three miners have sewn their mouths shut. Yesterday, July 3, Tariel Mikatadze's health deteriorated, followed by Mirza Loladze today. Both are refusing any medical assistance.

In the letter published on Facebook by the miners, they state that they have received no response to any of their previous letters sent to Irakli Kobakhidze:

"The people portrayed to you as radicals are, in reality, sacrificing their own lives to help their friends. This requires great courage and bravery.

Prime Minister, you often boast about family values and patriotism, but is there any greater value than sacrificing oneself for a friend?

Even when all of Georgia rebelled against you, we never called you illegitimate – we are workers. We demand decent working conditions, fair wages, and appreciation.

The manager introduced by the Commission [the tripartite commission under the Ministry of Health and Labor] has turned everything upside down. It seems as if they are deliberately trying to make the people hate the government even more – both the local government and the company are equally involved in all of this, Prime Minister.

If you want to understand the root of the problem, please come here or open the door to your office – we will tell you many things. Not everything is as it is presented to the public. If people can literally sacrifice themselves for their friends, how can such people be called radical? This requires great courage and dignity.

We belong to this country and do not deserve to live in injustice. Please take a personal interest in this matter. I have personally written and sent you many letters – I wonder if any of them reached you?

Manganese has become a curse for the people of Chiatura. This is a sincere letter that all of Georgia will see.

It is your obligation to care for the people who elected you and whose interests you must protect," the letter states.

Four participants of the miners' protest – Merab Saralidze, Giorgi Neparidze, Archil Chumburidze, and Tengiz Gvelesiani – were arrested on April 29, charged with intentionally causing less severe physical harm to Tengo Koberidze, the director of Shukruti mine. 

Later, the prosecution aggravated the charges against the detainees – Saralidze and Neparidze are accused of organizing and participating in group violence, which is punishable by 6 to 9 years of imprisonment, while Chumburidze and Gvelesiani are accused of participating in group violence. They face 4 to 6 years of imprisonment. On June 12, Judge Nikoloz Margvelashvili of Kutaisi City Court ordered all four to remain in pre-trial detention. 

Chiatura miners have been protesting continuously since February, when Georgian Manganese laid off 3500 employees. A protest rally, demanding the nationalization of the mining industry and the payment of unpaid wages, was also held in Tbilisi, near the Government Administration. The miners' protest escalated after Chiatura Management Company, which operates under Georgian Manganese's license, announced reorganization "to resume production in Chiatura" at the end of April. 

Seven people are on a hunger strike demanding the release of the detained miners. Three of them – Mirza Loladze, Goga Abesadze, and Shavleg Gogsadze – have their mouths sewn shut.