Human Rights Center Calls on the Prosecutor’s Office to Timely Investigate Cases

Natia Gogolashvili

On January 23 representatives of Human Rights Center held press-conference in the press-club of the Prime Time. They said the Chief Prosecutor’s Office do not investigate cases where signs of crimes allegedly committed by the officers ofpenitentiary system and law enforcement bodies are observed.

“We think the Chief Prosecutor’s Office and namely the chief prosecutor shall personally control the investigation into high-profile cases because their subunits are ineffective. They do not launch investigation into some cases and drag out process into others,” said Tamar Avaliani, deputy executive director of Human Rights Center.

According to Tamar Avaliani, prosecutor’s office often starts investigation into the cases of alleged torture and inhuman treatment under the articles of the abuse of power that is negative practice. Lawyers of Human Rights Center said big part of high-profile cases is still unresolved though mass violation of fundamental human rights is observed in them.

“With regard to the so-called special operation of 2006 near the tennis courts in Tbilisi when Zurab Vazagashvili and Aleksandre Khubulov were killed, we think that the investigation into this case was ineffective. Much time has passed since then and state should already have answers to the questions about the case. Impunity of the alleged perpetrators in this case caused murder of Yuri Vazagashvili on the grave of his son on January 20,” Tamar Avaliani said.

Lawyer of Human Rights Center Nestan Londaridze said citizens are endlessly questioned into the cases of alleged torture and physical abuse in penitentiary establishments as witnesses but there is no result in majority of cases. She mentioned case of Tamaz Rasoyan.

“Tamaz Rasyan is victim in the case. He named concrete alleged perpetrators in his torture but only two persons were punished. Investigation is still studying the action of other perpetrators,” Nestan Londaridze said.

According to the lawyers, cases of part of former political prisoners are not resolved yet; most part of them was victims of torture and inhuman treatment. Despite the petitions of Human Rights Center to meet the chief prosecutor and discuss the cases they work on, they could not appoint the meeting. The Prosecutor’s Office clarified there has never been similar precedent before.

Human Rights Center addresses to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office to timely investigate the cases about alleged torture, inhuman treatment and illegal persecution of people. Besides, Human Rights Center calls on the Parliament of Georgia to carry out parliamentary control over the prosecutor’s office activities.