TBILISI OSAC CRIME AND SAFETY REPORT - JANUARY 2009

UNCLAS TBILISI 000077 FOR DS/OSAC AND DS/IP/EUR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMGT APER ASEC GG SUBJECT: TBILISI OSAC CRIME AND SAFETY REPORT - JANUARY 2009 REF: 08 STATE 132056 ¶1. (U) Overall Crime and Safety Situation: There are regular reports of crimes against Americans and other westerners in Tbilisi and Georgia as a whole, although the level of violent crime has decreased due to improvements in the standard of living and more visible law enforcement presence in the last few years. ¶A. Crime Threats: Crimes reported to the US Embassy in the last few years have included rape, armed robbery, simple assault, aggravated assault, road rage vehicular assault, sexual assault, xenophoia-based harassment, cell phone theft, smash and grab theft from vehicles, car vandalism, among others. The perpetrators of these crimes tend to be young males between the ages of 15 to 30. There have also been reports of nuisance street children who have been known to badger, hassle, and behave aggressively toward foreigners. It is best to ignore and avoid these children since engaging them can further their aggressiveness. There are periodic reports of violence and intimidation against foreigners in bars, nightclubs and similar venues. Local men routinely imbibe large amounts of alcohol in these venues and they can be quite aggressive in their attempts to cajole foreigners to join in the heavy drinking. Refusing an offered drink from a Georgian is considered an insult, so tact and graciousness are important in preventing conflict. ¶B. Safety: RSO Tbilisi discourages the use of the underground Metro, the marshrutka (fixed route) mini-buses, and any other form of public transportation other than established taxi cab services. Driving in Georgia can be extremely hazardous. Most Americans and other foreigners find local drivers to exhibit little lane discipline and frequently encroach from the opposite lanes of traffic. Seatbelts should be worn at all times. Automobile travel between cites after sundown is strongly discouraged due to poor road conditions, insufficient lighting, increased likelihood of encountering drunk drivers, and heightened vulnerability to crime during vehicle malfunctions, stops, etc. ¶2. (U) Political Violence: There is currently no known threat of political violence directed specifically toward Americans. However, there is a substantial threat to Americans in regard to being in the wrong place at the wrong time. ¶A. Historical Perspective: In August 2008, exchange of gunfire and artillery between Georgian and South Ossetian forces escalated into full-blown war between Georgia and Russia. Russian forces systematically attacked Georgian military targets around the country and occupied key locations around Georgia, most notably Gori, which virtually severed movement and access from eastern and western Georgia. Russian forces eventually pulled most of their forces back into the separatist-controlled enclaves, but the areas of Georgia contiguous to Abkhazia and South Ossetia have seen periodic incursions from separatist forces who engage in shootings, kidnappings, remotely-detonated car bombings, boobytrap mine settings, and other acts of violence. These acts have been primarily targeting police and Georgian military personnel, but civilians and international observers have been targeted as well. Russian forces are stationed in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as well as in Peravi, outside South Ossetia, the Akalgori region of South Ossetia, as well as the Kodori Gorge area of Abkhazia, which was controlled by the Georgian government before the war. In November 2007, week-long anti-government protests culminated in violent clashes with police and a state of emergency. President Saakashvili called early elections, and Qemergency. President Saakashvili called early elections, and as required by the constitution, stepped down from power to participate in new elections in January 2008. Saakashvili won the new election although there were protests alleging election fraud, although most international election observers noted the level of documented fraud would not have affected the election outcome. ¶B. Regional Terrorism and Organized Crime: Most of the regional terrorism emanates from areas along the administrative boundaries of Abkhazia and South Ossetia with undisputed Georgian territory, and it takes the form of attacks and incursions from South Ossetian and Abkhaz militia, sometimes backed by Russian soldiers. Organized crime has been on the wane since the 2005 adoption of "Anti-Thief In Law" legislation, so most Georgian organized crime growth takes place outside of Georgia. Lower level organized crime in the form of street gangs, does appear to be a growing trend. ¶C. International or Transnational Terrorism: There were no known acts of transnational terrorism committed in Georgia in 2008, but Georgia's close proximity to countries burdened by terrorism and its lack of complete border control still render the country vulnerable to such activity. Georgia is still used, to a limited degree, as a transit state for weapons and funding. Georgia is party to nine international counterterrorism conventions, and it cooperates within its capability to detect threats of terrorism. To date, neither the US Embassy nor the Georgian government has identified any transnational terrorist groups operating or seeking to operate within Georgian borders. ¶D. Civil Unrest: The civil unrest in November 2007 included one day of violent clashes with police. Georgia has not experienced similar violent civil unrest since that time. ¶3. (U) Post-Specific Concerns: ¶A. Earthquakes and Floods: Georgia is situated in an earthquake zone. Since 1800, 350 earthquakes of six points or less (Richter Scale) have occurred. The biggest earthquakes took place in 1918 and 1920 and they were believed to be of the magnitude of eight to nine points. The most recent earthquake recorded in Tbilisi occurred in December 2005 which registered three points. ¶B. Industrial and Transportation Accidents: N/A ¶C. Kidnappings: The threat to Americans of kidnapping exists both within and outside of Tbilisi. However, in recent years instances of kidnappings have been significantly reduced with only a few reported instances of bridal or parental abductions involving American citizens. ¶D. Drugs and Narco-Terrorism: Georgia has been assessed as an end user destination for various forms of illicit drugs. Most crimes against persons reported to the embassy have involved perpetrators thought to be under the influence of controlled substances. In 2007, the government of Georgia adopted a national Anti-Drug Strategy, increased penalties for drug offenses and adopted new anti-drug legislation. The Georgian government is also continuing efforts to increase border security with the support of the US Government, the European Union and other international donors. Illegal importation and sale of Subutex, a particularly pervasive drug in Georgia, has decreased in the last few years with the cooperation of Georgian and French law enforcement. ¶4. (U) Police Response: Police response in Tbilisi is varied ranging from several minutes to an hour in some cases. Police response outside of Tbilisi can be considerably longer in the more remote areas. Despite much progress in the Georgian government's efforts to reform police and fight internal corruption, serious concerns remain as to the police's ability to deter criminal activity or to conduct effective post-incident investigations. ¶A. How to Handle Police Detention or Harassment: Private American citizens who have been detained or harassed by the police should contact the US Embassy's American Citizen Services unit in the consular section. ¶B. Where to Turn for Assistance: Private American citizens who have been victims of crime should contact the US Embassy's American Citizen Services unit in the Consular Section (995-32-27-7000, extension 7137) or the Regional Security Office (995-32-27-7000, extension 7188). After hours, private American citizens should contact the Embassy Duty Officer at 899-57-39-69 (or 995-99-57-39-69 if dialing QDuty Officer at 899-57-39-69 (or 995-99-57-39-69 if dialing from outside Georgia) or Embassy main phone number 995-32-27-7000. The Consular Section has information available to assist victims of crime seeking assistance from local police, medical attention, finding a local attorney, contacting family or relatives in the United States, and contacting airlines regarding travel arrangements. Please consult the Consular Information website http://travel.state.gov click the international travel section, then search for the country of Georgia for more information. Also be aware that the local police emergency phone number is ¶022. ¶5. Medical Emergencies: The local phone number for medical emergencies is 033. ¶A. Contact Information for Medical Providers: For medical emergencies, the Embassy health unit advises American citizens to consider MediClub (899-58-19-91) or the emergency and general physicians at IMSS (899-56-12-53). It is highly recommended for both short term and long term travelers to purchase overseas medical insurance and medical evacuation insurance. An emergency medical evacuation from Georgia to western Europe can cost approximately $100,000. Two overseas medical insurers used by Americans in the past are International SOS, www.internationalsos.com (1-215-942-8000), and MEDEX Assist, www.medexassist.com (1-800-732-5309). ¶B. Air Ambulance Services: The above mentioned insurance providers offer 24/7 air ambulance service and emergency medical assistance if deemed required by local medical professionals. ¶6. (U) Travel Precautions: In light of the high crime environment, all American citizens visiting Georgia are strongly advised to maintain keen security awareness and exercise basic security precautions. They should vary routes and times, especially when traveling between places of residence to work locations. They should maintain a low profile by not carrying large amounts of cash or displaying jewelry. Additionally, Americans should be aware of their surroundings, travel in pairs or groups, and stay on main streets where possible. It is also recommended that those traveling throughout the country do so only in the daylight hours, and that they provide travel itinerary and contact information to friends or colleagues. The driving culture is very dangerous and automobile travelers should wear seatbelts and drive defensively at all times. ¶A. The taxi cab industry is poorly regulated; foreigners are often charged rates higher than those of local residents. It is advised to negotiate a fare before utilizing a local taxi. In addition, there have been instances where cab drivers have taken unsuspecting passengers to areas where they are robbed. It is therefore advised that visitors only utilize reputable and established taxi services that are run by companies and not private individuals. ¶7. (U) OSAC Country Council: An OSAC Country Council was established in 2004 but it is not active. TEFFT