Mariam Nikuradze

50 Posts

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Mariam is a veteran journalist with over a decade of experience under her belt. She is passionate about gender equality and workers’ rights. Despite now being shackled behind a desk for most of the

OC Insider

How police violated my rights as a journalist

by Mariam Nikuradze

•2 min read

On Tuesday, police dispersed an opposition-organised protest outside Tbilisi State University. It was the second night protesters were blocking Ilia Chavchavadze, Melikishvili, and Varaziskhevi streets, a major crossroads. Police didn’t issue a warning about the dispersal in advance; they only gave a verbal warning to protest organisers on the site 15 minutes in advance. The dispersal started at around 7:00 in the morning. Thousands of police officers started moving to clear the intersection

Zviad Papidze, Jaba Macharashvili, Jubo Tsutskiridze, Giorgi Bitsadze, Beka Neparidze, and Amiran Shekiladze were on a hunger strike for 43 days. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.

Chiatura Manganese Mine

Shukrutians end hunger strike in Tbilisi after mining company agrees to negotiations

by Mariam Nikuradze

•3 min read

Residents of the village of Shukruti who have been protesting the destruction of their village outside the Georgian parliament have agreed to end their hunger strike after 43 days, to begin negotiations with the mining company. The Chiatura Management Company, which runs the mines in and around the central Georgian town of Chiatura, agreed to begin negotiations with the protesters after the government intervened. On Sunday, Rati Ionatamashvili, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, me

Shukruti protesters sleeping under rain outside the parliament. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.

Chiatura Manganese Mines

Dying on the steps of parliament — Georgia’s Shukrutians make last bid for their homes

by Mariam Nikuradze

•7 min read

After over a month on hunger strike, mostly on the steps of Georgia’s parliament, residents of the village of Shukruti are facing declining health and plummeting temperatures, with little hope of saving their village from destruction. ‘I don’t think I’ll witness my child growing up. I don’t have much energy left in me, maybe a few days? I don’t know’, says Giorgi Bitsadze, 33. Bitsadze has always been the funny one, cracking endless jokes to friends, family, and anyone he happens to meet.

OC Insider

Silencing critical voices from Azerbaijan

by Mariam Nikuradze

•1 min read

It’s been a week since Azerbaijani scholar, peace activist, and OC Media contributor Bahruz Samadov was arrested and charged with ‘treason’. Since then, at least two other activists and writers, Javid Agha and Samad Shikhi, have been prevented from leaving Azerbaijan and summoned as witnesses in the trial against Samadov. It looks like destroying free media and civil society in Azerbaijan was not enough for the regime. They have decided to go after the people who were still speaking up agains

Jumber Tsutskiridze, Giorgi Bitsadze and Amiran Shekiladze sewed their mouths on Sunday. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.

Chiatura Manganese Mines

Three in Shukruti sew lips shut in protest against manganese mining

by Mariam Nikuradze

•4 min read

On Sunday, three protesters from the village of Shukruti sewed their lips shut in an attempt to attract attention to their protest against the damage manganese mining is causing to their homes. This latest action follows more than five months of continuous protest by local residents. Sunday morning was gloomy in the protest tent. People had been gathering since the early hours, knowing that some of the protesters had made the decision to take the extreme measure of sewing their lips shut. W

Nargiza Kapanadze at the entrance to her storage room, which has visible cracks outside and inside. Photo: Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.

Chiatura Manganese Mines

Shukruti residents banned from protesting outside manganese mines

by Mariam Nikuradze

•3 min read

Anti-mining protesters in the western Georgian town of Shukruti have vowed to march to the hometown of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, after a court banned them from blocking mine access. The Sachkhere District Court banned residents of Shukruti, near Chiatura, from protesting outside a series of manganese mines. Protesters have spent the last five months blocking access to the mines to demand compensation for the damage, and in some cases, complete collaps

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