Tbilisi authorities demolish illegal residential buildings in Orkhevi settlement
Giorgi Chitidze, one of the individuals whose homes were subject of the Municipal Inspection’s new order, said he had not been on the ground when the agency began the removals, claiming he had been prevented from taking personal items out of the house before it was deconstructed. Photo: RFE/RL.
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A number of illegally constructed residential buildings in the Orkhevi settlement in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi were demolished by the city’s Municipal Inspection on Friday, in the latest round of removal of contentious houses from districts of the capital.
The Friday removals involved houses erected in the settlement located in the Samgori district of the city, with some individuals whose residential spaces were demolished responding to the development.
Locals said Tbilisi Municipal Inspection demolished seven buildings in the Orkhevi settlement. Photo: RFE/RL.
Giorgi Chitidze, one of the individuals whose homes were subject of the Municipal Inspection’s new order, said he had not been on the ground when the agency began the removals, claiming he had been prevented from taking personal items out of the house before it was deconstructed.
Human rights defender Giorgi Latsabidze told FormulaTV the municipal agency’s removals also included the house of an individual left homeless following the June 13, 2015 flood in Tbilisi. Latsabidze told the channel Tbilisi City Hall had promised new housing to the person for years, without results.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze responded to the development by saying authorities would not allow “seizure” of state land and illegal construction of buildings on it. Kaladze said individuals left without shelter as a result of the removals would be provided with residential spaces.
Several illegally constructed buildings were demolished in Tbilisi’s Africa settlement in 2020 in the previous round of removals.
Tbilisi Municipal Inspection has started dismantling twelve illegally constructed residential buildings in the ‘Africa’ settlement in Tbilisi, which has led to a confrontation between the local population and low enforcers.
Tbilisi Municipal Inspection has started dismantling several illegally constructed residential buildings in Nadzaladevi district in Tbilisi centre, which has led to a confrontation between the local population and law enforcers. One individual has been detained for disobeying the lawful order of a police officer.