Merab Kostava

Who was Merab Kostava?

Merab Kostava was a Georgian dissident, musician and poet; one of the leaders of the National-Liberation movement in Georgia. He was born in 1939 in Tbilisi, of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR.

In 1954, Kostava and Zviad Gamsakhurdia founded the Georgian youth underground organization "Gorgasliani". Between 1956 and 1958 Kostava, together with Gamsakhurdia and several other members of this organization were jailed by the KGB for "anti-Soviet activity." The charges against Kostava and Gamsakhurdia included the dissemination of anti-communist literature and proclamations.

Kostava graduated from the Tbilisi State Conservatoire in 1962. From 1962-1977 he was a teacher at a local music school in Tbilisi.

In 1973, Kostava and Gamsakhurdia established the Initiative Group for defence of Human Rights. In 1976 Kostava co-founded the Georgian Helsinki Group. From 1976-1977 and 1987-1989 Kostava was a member of the Governing Board of the abovementioned human rights organization. After 1975 Kostava was a member of Amnesty International.

In 1977, Kostava and Gamsakhurdia were jailed. Kostava was sent to Siberia to serve his sentence. He was released in 1987.