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Statement of Human Rights Center about the Investigation of the Physical Assault on Chief Auditor Lasha Tordia

May 26, 2017
 
Human Rights Center will defend the interests of the Chief Auditor Lasha Tordia in front of the investigation bodies. The lawyers of the organization have officially taken up the case and carry out all necessary procedures. 
 
Human Rights Center is concerned with the attempt to hush the violent act against the Chief Auditor – person with constitutional status, that was observed in the statements of the investigative bodies and follow-up events. 
 
It is also alarming that the Chairman of the Parliament and the Parliament in general, did not show any interest in the incident; nobody from the legislative body have met the Chief Auditor and reacted to the incident while the State Audit Office is the parliamentary control mechanism. 
 
Ex-Chief Prosecutor Otar Partskhaladze and his allies assaulted the Chief Auditor Lasha Tordia on May 13. The incident was directly connected with the activities of the Chief Auditor and not with his personal life. Nevertheless, the investigation was launched under the Article 126 of the Criminal Code of Georgia that is absolutely inadmissible for Human Rights Center, as this particular article of the CCG does not refer to the crimes committed based on professional duties. The investigation should have been opened under the Article 3531 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which is about the assault on the representatives of the authorities in connection with their official duties.
 
Also, it is significant to note that as a result of the assault, Lasha Tordia received grave injuries of body, including close trauma of skull. Regardless that fact, he does not have victim status yet. Otar Partskhaladze’s lawyer also confirmed with media that the Chief Auditor had injuries and added that during the incident his client was forced to use so-called proportional power [against Tordia] to immediately neutralize him. It is absolutely groundless to speak about proportional power because nobody except Lasha Tordia was injured in the incident.
 
Although senior official of the Financial Police Mikheil Chokheli also participated in the physical assault on Lasha Tordia, the investigation has not got interested in it at all.
 
Human Rights Center believes impartial and prompt investigation of the violent act against the head of the constitutional body in connection to his professional activities is very important with active participation of the Parliament of Georgia. Since the investigation is not carried out in a prompt and impartial manner, Human Rights Center believes the Parliament of Georgia shall establish temporary investigation commission. Also, it is important to carry out effective parliamentary control over the ongoing investigation in the prosecutor’s office, which should be continued under the Article 3531 of the CCG.
 
Human Rights Center 

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