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Compiled by Londa Mindiashvili
Friday, March 13
Underage female prisoners must be treated differently

Sakartvelos Respublika writes that Sozar Subari, the Public Defender of Georgia, is demanding the improvement of prison conditions of underage female prisoners and their release under certain terms.

The Public Defender’s office reports that Subari addressed his demand to Dmitri Shashkin, the Penitentiary Minister. His representatives visited The Fifth Colony, where they met female juvenile offenders.

The Public Defender’s Office stated: “In view of the fact there is no special jail for underage girls, they have to serve their sentences in the same conditions as adults. They are in more severe and restricted conditions than the law allows. This does not accord with the laws about imprisonment and the minimal standards of treatment of prisoners and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

“The prison does not have an exercise yard, the water taps in the cells don’t work, there is no private hygiene. There are too many prisoners, therefore underage girls have to be in cells with adults. They cannot get an education,” the Public Defender’s representatives added.



Heroes’ country

24 Saati reports that Speaker of Parliament Davit Bakradze, and Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili, visited the new ‘Military town’ with Mikheil Saakashvili, The President of Georgia, when he gave 170 flats in this town to the families of soldiers killed in the August War.

“This decision has been made by the Ministry of Interior and Parliament. Georgia is a great heroes’ country. We dared something not dared by many countries,” Mikheil Saakashvili stated.



Journalists leave Kronika

Rezonansi reports that some Imedi TV journalists have left their jobs and some more are due to be removed by the channel’s management. Information Service workers, Joni Kalandadze, one of the Editors of the Information Service, Diana Trapaidze, a journalist on the information programme Kronika and other correspondents are among those affected.

At the same time, Giorgi Isakadze, the head of the GMP holding, has produced a list of journalists who he says are “due to retire.” Isakadze does not confirm that some staff have already left. Another source states that Imedi intends to abolish its information programmes.

Diana Trapaidze denied that she had left her job. “If I see the need, I will leave the work without any statements or negotiations,” Trapaidze added.