EU Ambassador Calls for Investigation of School Principal Death Case
By Tea Mariamidze
Thursday, April 4
European Union Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell says the investigation of Zugdidi N6 Public School principal's death, who had a stroke after she was allegedly pressured before the presidential elections, is very important.
According to the family, the health condition of the school principal Ia Kerzaia worsened after she was dismissed following the school inspection. The family claims that earlier the woman refused to join supporters of the new President Salome Zurabishvili during the election period.
The ambassador says the case is high-profile and needs proper investigation.
"It is very important to investigate such cases in this tense, polarized environment, and in addition when elections are close. This fact was very tragic,” Herzell said.
Before the ambassador’s comment, eleven members of European Parliament sent a letter to Georgian Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze urging “a prompt and thorough investigation” of the death of Ia Kerzaia.
"We expect an immediate and thorough investigation of the political pressure on Ia Kerzaia, Director of the Public School No. 6 in Zugdidi to find out what caused her death on 9 December 2018,” the letter of the MEPs reads.
The parliamentarians added the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sport of Georgia shall specifically set up schools' inspection standards and methodology and refrain from using such mechanisms during the pre-election period.
“We believe it is in the best interest of Georgia and its democratic future that the case of Mrs. Kerzaia is investigated in a comprehensive and timely manner by the Prosecutor’s Office and the judicial authorities in the country so that the perpetrators are brought to justice,” the MEPs said.
Ia Kerzaia’s son, Bachana Shengelia, says her mother was the victim of repression and political persecution. He said that the pressure was coming from the education minister and the intention was intimidation of the school principal because she many times refused to become the activist of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
Kerzaia died on December 9, after she was operated on at the hospital. On November 26 she published a letter in local media, saying on November 9, the inspectors came from the Ministry of Education to carry out an inspection based on an anonymous complaint.
She said the complaint read she was misappropriating school funds. Kerzaia rejected the allegations, saying she was democratically elected director and worked hard for the welfare of the school and pupils.
Bachana Shengelia also published a letter in late November on Facebook, saying his mother and the whole school staff were under pressure for one week by the inspectors, adding they questioned everyone quite strictly and warned about proper consequences.
The Ministry of Education explained that the 6th public school of Zugdidi was examined from 9 to 15 November on the basis of a citizen's complaint. The ministry says administrative, financial and sanitary-hygienic grave violations had been revealed at school.
On March 26, NGO the International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED) presented a special report about Kerzaia’s case.
Based on examination and analysis of circumstances of the case, ISFED found that the Ministry’s inspection at Zugdidi Public School #6 contains elements of potential discrimination on political motive.
The leader of the parliamentary majority Archil Talakvadze said he expects Prosecutor's Office will answer the questions related to Ia Kerzaia's case.
“We expect that the Prosecutor's Office will investigate this case and give an exhaustive answer to all questions. As for the Parliament, it has held a committee hearing over this issue, where all the important questions were put regarding this case,” MP said.
Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia said on April 3 that until the cause of death is determined as a criminal act, the investigation cannot identify any of the close relatives of Ia Kerzaia as a victim and the late school principal’s son Bachana Shengelia is also informed about it.
