Chiatura miners mark 127 days of protest, hunger strike continues over detained colleagues

A long-running miners’ protest in the western Georgian mining town of Chiatura has entered its 127th day, with tensions escalating as seven miners continue a hunger strike, demanding the release of four detained colleagues.

Three of the protesters – Mirza Loladze, Goga Abesadze and Shavleg Gogsadze – have sewn their mouths shut in a stark act of protest. Among the remaining four on hunger strike is Merabi Saralidze, who is currently incarcerated. Two of the strikers are on a dry hunger strike, with the health condition of Tariel Mikatsadze described as particularly severe.

The hunger strike reached its 16th day on Friday.

“Our only demand is the release of our four unjustly detained colleagues,” said miner Davit Chinchaladze. “We are standing against the injustice being carried out in Chiatura by the company, and we will not stop until our friends are free.”

The four miners – arrested on 29 April – are accused of physically assaulting the director of the Shukruti mine, an offence that carries a prison sentence of up to six years under Georgian law.

The protest movement began in response to what workers say is a pattern of mistreatment and labour violations in the mining industry in Chiatura, a town with a long history of manganese extraction.