Web Portal on Human Rights in Georgia

On April 17, 2013 Special Preventive Group under Public Defender of Georgia carried out ad hoc monitoring at the Penitentiary Establishment #8 within the framework of National Preventive Mechanism. 75 life sentenced inmates being on hunger strike were visited. The accused did not complain on their treatment at the Establishment #8. They objected the Law on Amnesty of December 28, 2012 as it alleviated the sentence of all accused except the life sentenced inmates.

Torture and abuse of prisoners before the change of government, shortfalls in the rule of law and lack of judicial independence, as well as obstacles to exercise freedoms of association and assembly particularly for opposition were the most important human rights problems reported in 2012, according to the U.S. Department of State’s annual human rights country report, released on April 19.

The Parliament approved with its first hearing on March 7 amendments to the criminal procedure code and criminal code, according to which the rule of consecutive sentencing will be changed and it will also have retroactive force for those convicts, who are currently serving their consecutive sentences.

Bacho Akhalaia, former Minister of Defense and Internal Affairs refused to allow jury to hear his case. Akhalaia is accused of organization of torture, abuse of authority and illegal deprivation of liberty. Other defendants, including former high official of Ministry of Probation Gaga Mkurnaladze and former head of Joint Staff of the Georgian Armed Forces Giorgi Kalandadze made the same decision and refused jury to hear their case. They stated this at the trial held on April 5th.

After the Parliamentary Election of October 1, 2012 people in Georgia already expected that several senior officials of the previous government would be placed behind bars. One of the main pre-election promises of winning political coalition Georgian Dream was to investigate corruption and torture crimes allegedly committed by former senior governmental officials and to hold them responsible for those crimes. A series of detainments started on November 6 with the detention of Bacho Akhalaia, the former minister of interior.

Lawmakers in the Georgian parliament are learning there's truth behind the old adage "Be careful what you ask for."