Representatives of Human Rights Center Met Former Chairman of the Tbilisi City Court

Representatives of Human Rights Center Met Former Chairman of the Tbilisi City Court within Framework of the Survey into the New Rule of Witness Interrogation 

On February 23, representatives of Human Rights Center met Mamuka Akhvlediani, former chairperson of the Tbilisi City Court. The purpose of the meeting was to get information about his February 17 interrogation in front of the judge for the interests of the ongoing survey in the witness interrogation rule. Mamuka Akhvlediani provided the representatives of Human Rights Center with the information about his interrogation in the court.

On February 17, 2016 Mamuka Akhvlediani was interrogated in front of the judge in the Tbilisi City Court in accordance to the new rule of witness interrogation. On February 16, because of mistrust to the investigation, Akhvlediani requested interrogation in front of the judge. The case refers to the illegal access to the computer system of the director general of the Rustavi 2 and illegal obtaining and dissemination of the video-recording of the personal conversation of Mamuka Akhvlediani.   In accordance to the new rule, based on the solicitation of the prosecutor, considering the place of the investigation or witness’ presence, the person may be interrogated in front of the magister judge if there is a fact or/and information which may satisfy the impartial person to identify circumstances of the criminal case and if the person refuses to be interrogated by the investigative body. 

Human Rights Center is surveying how the new rule of the witness interrogation is applied in practice. The new rule went in force on February 20, 2016. The first witness was questioned in accordance to this rule on February 29, 2016. 

Within framework of the survey, representatives of Human Rights Center met the Public Defender of Georgia, Chairman of the Georgian Bar Association, chairwoman of the Supreme Court and head of the State Legal Service.

On February 16, the director general of the Rustavi 2 Nika Gvaramia was interrogated before the magister judge at the Tbilisi City Court; representative of Human Rights Center monitored the interrogation process. Head of the legal aid service at Human Rights Center Tamar Avaliani attended the interrogation process at the Tbilisi City Court with the status of Nika Gvaramia’s lawyer.

Human Rights Center