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Legislative Initiative Might Be Submitted to the Parliament due to Tense Criminal Situation in the Country

September 15, 2014
 
Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi

Two days ago, patrol police officer ruthlessly beat 65-year-old man in my neighborhood in Kutaisi. Mevlud Kodua had his head and limbs broken and was taken to Imereti regional hospital. The neighbors informed media about the fact. Press-center of the MIA states the fact was not officially confirmed because nobody had applied to the local police office and there was nothing to study.

“The poor man worked for the bakery and his neighbor patrol police officer beat him. The victim informed the neighbors about the incident but now police officers are guarding him in the hospital and do not allow anybody to enter there because he will say the truth after recovery. Police is claiming the man was not beaten, but he fell down and injured himself,” Mevlud Kodua’s neighbors said.

The neighbors speak about the threat which the victim might face if he tells the truth after he is dismissed from hospital.

“It is another tragedy when you cannot say the truth because police officer is the abuser; nobody will punish him! Though he deserves punishment. Is not it abuse of power? How can we speak about human rights and protection of people’s interests when similar things happen in our country, particularly in Imereti region. Thievery, robbery, ironing children, robbery in the streets, murders… it is result of the amnesty, when all criminals were released,” Kodua’s neighbor said.

Parliament of Georgia passed Law on Amnesty on December 21, 2012 as a result of what 3 000 prisoners were released from prisons throughout the country; 1500 prisoners had their sentences half-reduced; the third group of convicts had their imprisonment terms reduced at one/fourth. 

Then government assessed the amnesty law as a human act but the opposition, as well as big part of society, complained about possible threats.

Then Minister Irakli Garibashvili told humanrights.ge: “Although many people complained about amnestied articles, I want to calm down everybody and assure that doubts about possible raise in criminal situation in Georgia are groundless. I want to assure the society that Georgian MIA will take measures to properly implement the Amnesty Law in the country.”

Now Prime-Minister Garibashvili evaluates criminal situation as stable and work of law enforcement bodies as positive.

In parallel to that, the Parliamentary opposition is astonished and demand resignation of the Minister of Interior; they claim the statistics published by the MIA are fake. “We must speak with facts, whose number is drastically increasing day by day,” MP Pavle Kublashvili of the United National Movement said.

Public Defender of Georgia also speaks about frequent criminal facts and inadequate judgments passed by the court. Ombudsman Ucha Nanuashvili clarified that increased number of criminal facts is alarming. Both timely investigation and preventive measures are necessary. “Not only MIA and prosecutor’s office must address the problem, but also the court. The role of judiciary system is very significant. I mean relatively light sanctions, which are applied for grave crimes. Different branches of the society and government must be held responsible for current situation, because the process must stop and more attention shall be paid to prevention. We must also avoid similar threats in future.”

Prime-Minister Irakli Garibashvili does not admit there is problem in the country and believes criminal situation is stable but he spoke about necessary legislative changes in this direction. Last week, he instructed the Minister of Interior and Minister of Justice to draft legislative initiative which will be discussed by the Parliament of Georgia within reasonable time frame. 

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