Chiatura unrest reflects deep social injustice, state indifference, rights lawyer

The unfolding situation in the mining town of Chiatura in western Georgia highlights widespread social injustice and government indifference, Guro Imnadze, a lawyer from the Tbilisi-based advocacy group Social Justice Centre claimed on Tuesday.

Imnadze said the crisis demonstrated not only legal failings but also deep-rooted systemic inequality in how wealth was distributed in Georgia, particularly in resource-rich regions like Chiatura.

"Chiatura illustrates many problems - legal, social, and the state's total indifference to a deepening social crisis," he said. "This is one of Georgia’s wealthiest regions in terms of natural resources, and yet it remains one of the poorest in terms of living standards. That disconnect speaks volumes about the country’s unfair and extractive economic system."

The manganese mining industry, long the economic backbone of Chiatura, has been at the centre of growing unrest in recent months. Locals and miners have complained of dire working conditions, environmental degradation, and a lack of tangible benefits for the community - despite the area's economic output.

Imnadze argued that the profits from the mining industry benefited a small elite connected to both local and national power structures, while residents faced unemployment, poor infrastructure, and few social protections.