For the fourth day, residents of Shukruti village in Chiatura have blocked the entrance to the Korokhnali mine, which runs beneath their village. Some protesters have already vacated their homes. The inhabitants fear a repetition of the incident in the neighboring village of Itkhvisi, where the ground collapsed, burying houses. Georgian Manganese has labeled the protesters a radical group and has lodged a complaint with the police. Media outlets associated with the wealthiest company are discrediting the residents of Shukruti.
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"We are not eco-migrants; it is the company that is ruining us. For years, it has disregarded mining regulations, focusing solely on extracting more ore, which has led us to this situation. Many houses have already collapsed, and those that remain standing are developing wider cracks every day. The fissures on roads, plots, and yards are growing deeper and deeper. We refuse to engage with Georgian Manganese and be part of any corrupt activities. Before pitching the tent, we met with the new head of the company, Maxim Mazurenko.
We demand a comprehensive assessment of our property and compensation at market prices. Georgian Manganese refuses to comply, fearing that if experts evaluate our houses, yards, plots, and gardens here and provide compensation at the actual value, it may set a precedent for other affected villages.”
Giorgi Neparidze, a resident of Shukruti and one of the organizers of the rally, spoke to "Mtis Ambebi."
In 2021, residents of Shukruti staged the loudest and longest protest with the same demands. During the rally, participants sewed up their faces and went on a 30-day hunger strike. Eventually, when the protest reached the vicinity of the US Embassy in Tbilisi, prompting a response from the diplomatic corps, Georgian Manganese signed an agreement with 8 affected families. At the company's insistence, the victims were prohibited from disclosing the terms of the contract. However, "Mtis Ambebi" has learned that the contract stipulated that the property would be assessed by the Forensic Expertise National Bureau, after which compensation would be provided. All of this was supposed to be completed within 6 months. Giorgi Neparidze stated that in the end, the Forensic Bureau did not provide a conclusion, and while five out of eight families received partial compensation based on the company's audit, three families have not received anything to date.
Now, about 30 representatives of families living in Shukruti have gathered near the Korokhnali mine.
"They gave 7, 8, 12, 20 thousand GEL to a large part of the village population and silenced them; they signed a document, some sort of thank-you note. Some were offered employment. That's how it goes.
When the state fails to protect you and they collude, the population is compelled to comply, remain silent, refrain from fighting, or else they will be targeted and subjected to constant pressure."
Giorgi Neparidze has personal experience of how the system punishes people who openly dare to fight for their rights. In 2021, he was charged with an absurd accusation. He was considered an accused for two years, and 26 court hearings were held for his case. In the end, he was acquitted.
Georgian Manganese has lodged a complaint with the police regarding the participants of the ongoing protest near the Korokhnali mine.
"They have unlawfully disrupted the work process by blocking the entrance to the Korokhnali mine. At the Shukruti mine, the central ventilation system was disconnected, endangering the health of the employees. The radical group demanding action from the company has already received compensation. Funds were distributed gradually over different years based on individual assessments of private property. Locals involved in the process are attempting to mislead the public by claiming they have not received compensation from the company. Since 2020, a total of approximately 11 million GEL has been distributed to the villages of Shukruti and Perevisa. The process of settling compensations was temporarily halted due to the global crisis. Disbursement of funds has resumed according to categories since March," the company stated.
On March 15, Rustavi 2 television company accused the protest participants of arbitrarily shutting down the central cooling system of the mines, thereby endangering the workers. It is known that in mines, people can die if the cooling system is disabled. In the story, the anchor of Kurieri did not provide any evidence for this serious accusation and did not attempt to verify the information. Giorgi Neparidze stated that on March 13, an employee of Georgian Manganese turned off the ventilation system at their request, after all the employees had left the mine, and no new shift was scheduled.
Another media outlet, PrimeTime, reported that the families participating in the protest have indeed already received compensation money and specified the amount.
Rustavi 2 and PrimeTime share the same actual manager, Tamar Pkhakadze, who is the aunt of Giorgi Kapanadze (nicknamed Rizha), a member of the supervisory board of Georgian Manganese.
Today, March 16, in the morning, Georgian Manganese restarted the ventilation system of the mines. Dozens of police officers were mobilized on-site to prevent the rally participants. The Korokhnali mine is once again paralyzed.
Regarding the protest participants' statement that they met with the new manager of the company, Ukrainian Maxim Mazurenko, before the protest began, there have been no changes in the data of the business register, and Besik Kirtadze is still listed as the special manager of Georgian Manganese. However, there have been changes in the directors of intermediary companies, Manganum Logistics and Magharoeli. Evgeni Jikhvadze was appointed as the director of Manganum Logistics on March 12, replacing Nodar Mikaberidze (nicknamed Bashkira), and Zurab Badzgaradze was appointed as the director of Magharoeli on March 1.
At the request of the Ministry of Environmental Protection, a special state manager has been appointed to Georgian Manganese LLC for the 7th year due to the situation in Chiatura, which is deemed equivalent to an ecological disaster and requires urgent correction. In fact, the ecological situation in Chiatura has significantly deteriorated under the special state management regime.
The sole owner (100%) of Georgian Manganese is the company Georgian American Eloise, with its controlling stake owned by the Ukrainian billionaire Igor Kolomoisky, and approximately 4% belonging to the Georgian group of shareholders, including Giorgi Kapanadze (aka Rizha).
Georgian Manganese is the largest mining company in Georgia, with a turnover of hundreds of millions, making it the wealthiest company in the country. However, the region where it operates is one of the poorest areas. Every third person in Chiatura Municipality is socially vulnerable and receives a subsistence allowance.
