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Human Rights Organizations for the International Day in Support of Torture Victims

June 28, 2010
Nino Gelashvili, Nini Topuridze

“Do not Torture!” – this was the slogan of the protest demonstration organized by the Georgian Young Lawyers Association (GYLA) to celebrate the International Day in Support of Torture Victims in front of the Tbilisi Police Main Department on June 26. The Human Rights Center and the Justice and Freedom joined the demonstration.

“GYLA organizes events to celebrate the international day every day. So we decided to organize a demonstration this year too. First of all, we want to underline the importance of the day and of the right against torture in general. Simultaneously, we wanted to send our messages to the government. Famous facts of torture still remain unresolved; the people, suspected in torture and inhuman treatment, are not punished yet. We think, it should not happen and everyone, guilty in the crime, shall be punished in accordance to the law,” said the organizer of the event Tamar Ghugoshvili, parliamentary secretary of the GYLA.

Lawyer of the Human Rights Center Ana Natsvlishvili spoke about solidarity between human rights organizations. “We not only express our solidarity towards torture victims but we also demonstrate our strict position towards the state and express solidarity to each other because we –NGOs - have many common goals; it is really nice that human rights defenders stand together to achieve our overall goals.”

Ana Natsvlishvili added that victims of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment still exist in Georgia. “We would like to remind the state that its mission is – to take all measures to eradicate torture and degrading treatment in the country; in the case of similar accidents, effective investigations shall be carried out, the offenders shall be punished; but unfortunately it does not happen in Georgia.”

Chairman of the non-governmental organization Justice and Freedom Irakli Sesiashvili connects the torture facts with the politization of the police. “Most citizens do not feel that they live in the fair country. Unfortunately, in addition to it, the facts of torture and inhuman treatment also occur… Thus, we do not have right not to protest it and remind the government about similar facts.”

The amendments were introduced to the Criminal Code of Georgia in 2005. According to it, Georgia is responsible to comply its national legislation with the international law against torture.

Last year, non-governmental organizations registered 15 facts of torture in Georgia but the offenders have not been detained yet.

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