Human Rights

Dear all, I’m on freelance assignment in Georgia.  I managed to interview Georgia’s Prime Minister Vladimir Gurgenidze and asked him to explain why Georgia passed legislation that lowers the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 12. 

Human Rights Watch (HWR) issued a report earlier this month and made an appeal to the Georgian government to rescind this controversial legislation.  On June 6, the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Child expressed “deep regret” and urged Georgia to increase the age to 14.

“Rather than making plans to lock up 12-and 13-year-olds, the Georgian government should study best international practice on addressing and preventing crime by children. It should develop social support and other preventive services appropriate to Georgia’s culture and conditions and to its responsibilities,” said Mary Murphy, director of Penal Reform International’s South Caucasus Office

The Prime Minister’s response was unequivocal and he deferred the question to the Ministry of Justice.  He would not offer an opinion on the matter either.  I recorded the entire interview and if I manage to overcome some technical glitches, I’ll post this segment online.

Since the 2003 Rose Revolution, Georgia has made remarkable progress.  It has restored its financial order, fought corruption, crime, and made sweeping economic reforms that are transforming this tiny nation of 4.6 million.  As you may know, Georgia is currently embroiled in a tense conflict over its breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.  However, this is an altogether different story and probably doesn’t belong in this blog.

To follow up on yesterday’s post, I happened to stumble across a group of illegal immigrants in Paris protesting for their rights. The following is an interview conducted on a street corner in the 19th arrondissement (quarter or neighborhood). A dozen or so illegal immigrants were flying banners in front of a restaurant where some of them worked and were exploited.

This particular group have been protesting for two months and are demanding to be recognized as a legal. All of them work. The problem is that while the state is all too happy to take a huge cut out of their pay, it won’t provide them with any social benefits or health care.

This is the story of 39-year old Toure Racine from Senegal. He came to France in 2000 and works as a cook. He is married to a Senegalese who is also an illegal immigrant. Together, they have three children, all born in France but who have no rights either.

After protesting for two months, Toure finally got his papers yesterday. He is now considered legal and has the rights of any ordinary French citizen. However, many of his friends in similar situations, have yet to obtain legal status. Some he says have been working for 10 or even 20 years paying into a system without access to the benefits. Toure says it’s because they have found a solidarity movement that they are now finally beginning to receive their due.

“My message, whether it’s for American or German or what have you authorities, is that they do something for the security of their immigrants. That they exist outside the regulations and yet work and contribute, all we want is to live like everyone else, that is the message I would like to pass on to everyone.” Toure Racine.

In French. My apologies for the poor audio quality.