The lives of your children are in danger

Irina Enukidze was an energetic and charismatic woman in the Republic of Georgia. On early morning of January 28, 2006, as her 27-year-old son Sandro Girgvliani did not come home and did not answer his phone, she started calling his friends to see what he was up to. He was nowhere to be heard of. In the morning, she was informed that he was found tortured and killed in the cemetery at the outskirts of the city. Irina was shocked and devastated. In several weeks, having regained consciousness, Irina took the initiative to inquire about the night, which led up to her son’s killing. She soon found out that very high-ranking security officials had abducted, tortured and murdered him. Her son had fallen prey to lawlessness and impunity in the high ranks of law enforcement. She decided that she would not let anyone repeat his fate. Irina sought out contacts with human rights defenders. I was fortunate to be one of the first to meet Irina. We soon arranged a press conference, demanding an objective investigation of the crime and prosecution of the implicated high-ranking officials. In a country where freedom of speech is not respected, and law enforcement is very powerful, this was a risky activity. Yet, Irina was unstoppable. Her commitment and energy were contagious. Irina soon became the leader of the unprecedented campaign against law enforcement impunity. “The Lives of Your Children Are in Danger” campaign rocked Georgian political circles and public life. Irina led demonstrations, pickets, and press conferences and soon united mothers of youth who had been similarly tortured or killed by public officials. She pursued charges against the highest-ranking security officers, and led the process all the way to the European Court of Human rights. The fact that this saddened, single lady launched a mass public campaign confronting the powerful law enforcement elite seemed miraculous. She achieved much. All officers implicated in the execution of the murder had served prison sentences. Most importantly, the rate of extrajudicial killings by police had been significantly reduced. Tragically, just over a year after the death of her son, Irina passed away from pancreatic cancer. Knowing her, I am sure she would not to be content with what she had achieved. She would not find peace until she made sure that no other Georgian mother would experience what she had gone through.