NGOs have demanded number of times from the authorities to launch an investigation on the submitted information. Even though the Georgian Legislation explicitly obliges the Prosecutor’s Office and the relevant unit of the Ministry of Corrections to start a full-scale investigation into such facts, no comprehensive investigation has taken place so far. Regrettably, the actions of the authorities have been limited to an internal inquiry conducted by the Ministry of Corrections.
On December 30, 2013, the General Prosecutor of Georgia, Mr. Otar Partskhaladze resigned. The developments around the former General Prosecutor, including questions regarding his criminal record and legal education, clearly showed significance of selection process and underlined responsibility of relevant authorities involved in this process, in particular the Minister of Justice and the Prime Minister.
As it is known, the inter-fractional group was set up on election issues by the December 26, 2013 order of the Chairman of the Parliament. It aims preparation of amendments on self-governance elections to the Organic Law of Georgia “Election Code” and other laws and their submission to the Parliament.
The inter-fractional group already held its first working meeting and NGOs, parliamentary and non-parliamentary political parties had opportunity to participate.
The Parliament of Georgia has been reviewing the draft “Local Self- governance Code” with the second reading. In view of this, we would like to voice our position once again on the mechanism of announcing mistrust to the Mayors/Gamgebelis envisaged by the submitted draft.
The draft proposes important novelty, such as direct election of Gamgebelis(Mayors) that has been supported by our organizations long ago. We, however regret that the draft envisages the norm that diminishes importance of the elected Mayors and Gamgebelis.
We, the non-governmental organizations and the representatives of the civil society of Georgia are deeply concerned with the violence against the free and strong-willed people of Ukraine who are defending fundamental rights and freedoms and European aspirations of Ukraine.
As it is known in January 2014, the Parliamentary Inter-fractional Group started to work on the reform of election legislation, which should serve as the bases for conduct of the 2014 elections.
Public Defender’s Office shall nominate three members for the Legal Aid Service Council. One should be the staff member of the Public Defender’s Office, while other two should be selected on the basis of the open competition in view of applicants’ experience in human rights field and/or five years experience of academic/scientific activity.
On January 23, 2013 the Parliament of Georgia held the second stage of the voting process for selection of the candidates of GPB Board of Trustees. As a result, four candidates were selected on 9 vacant positions.
The draft has been initiated in the Parliament aiming to introduce number of amendments to the Imprisonment Code. The author of the Code is the Ministry of Corrections of Georgia and the initiator is the government of Georgia. GYLA along with other NGOs had opportunity to participate in the working process on the draft and to submit its opinions prior to initiation of the document. The organization evaluates number of amendments positively, while certain changes received negative assessment. GYLA intends to submit its written opinions to the Parliament in the nearest future.
Yesterday video footage was released through social networks and mass media illustrating how the former Minister of Interior addresses representatives of the task force with the following words: “I need two men, two corpses, bring me these two corpses, that’s it, the reward is going to be big.” Moreover, the video footage also reflects other high state officials, including Mikhail Saakashvili, the ex-president of Georgia. As reported, the video footage demonstrates the special operation carried out against participants of the Mukhrovani riot in 2009. As a result Gia Krialashvili died and two other individuals were wounded seriously. Some other participants of the riot were brought to justice and received guilty verdict.
