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The News in Brief

Wednesday, January 9
Georgian national arrested for murder in Italy

A Georgian national was arrested in Italy for killing a 90 year-old woman. Georgian diplomatic mission has not been informed about the fact officially. However, the murder was reported by the local media. Reports said the suspect is 24 year-old Natia Tatarashvili, who has been living in Italy for the last five years as a nurse. Reportedly, the nurse and the old woman had a dispute. The suspect has already pleaded guilty. Natia Tatarashvili was transferred to the psychiatric hospital in Florence. She seemed to have had several attempts of suicide earlier. (Rustavi 2)



Eka Beselia – Amnesty Law will be published in “Legislative Gazette” after signing

One of the authors of the Amnesty Bill, chairperson of human rights protection committee of parliament, Eka Beselia, held working meetings with the representatives of the Ministry of Corrections and Internal Affairs. The MP informed InterPressNews that they discussed the issues related to law enforcement procedures.

The president has time to sign the amnesty law until January 11. If Mikheil Saakashvili does not sign the law by January 12, the chairperson of parliament is authorized to sign it.“The law will be published by the “Legislative Gazette” as soon as it is signed and enforcement procedures start,” Eka Beselia said.

Most convicted for petty crimes will be released from prisons. Prisoners convicted for drug cases will also be released, but the amnesty will not concern those who were involved in the drug trade. The punishment will be eased to almost all prisoners, apart from inmates sentenced to life.

The amnesty law concerns the convicts who committed crime before October 2, 2012. (IPN)



Bank robbers arrested few minutes after crime

Police arrested robbers, who attacked a branch of the Bank of Georgia on Nutsubidze Street at approximately 16:00 Monday afernoon. Several masked gunmen assaulted the bank office, threatened with guns and left with cash money. Patrol police chased the robbers and arrested them on Chavchavadze Avenue. Expert-criminalists worked on the scene. (Rustavi 2)



250 employs dismissed in Akhmeta, Kakheti Region

A new chief of the Kindergarten Center of Akhmeta, in the Kakheti Region, has dismissed 250 employees. The staff of the same center and the teachers of the kindergartens are among the dismissed. Teachers of the kindergarten learned about their dismissal by the directors. One part of them says the decision was politically motivated. Others fear that a staff cut in the pre-school educational institutions may cause serious problems in the functioning of kindergartens. The chief of the Kindergarten rules out political motives of the staff cut and says it was just a process of optimization. (Rustavi 2)



Large delegation will attend Georgian Patriarch’s Jubilee

The largest delegation will arrive in Tbilisi with the World Patriarch, especially for the anniversary of the Catholicos-Patriarch of Georgia Ilia II, said member of the state commission marking the Patriarch’s anniversary, doctor of political scientists Armaz Akhvlediani to InterPressNews.

He said representatives of almost all orthodox churches will arrive on the anniversary of the Patriarch of Georgia, including the World Patriarch Bartlomeos II, Serb Patriarch Irineos, head of the Czech and Slovakia churches Metropolitan Kristefore and also the acting Patriarch of Bulgaria, Metropolitan Kiril.

Akhvlediani said the delegations of other churches led by high priests will also be attend including the Russian delegation, headed by the foreign relations department of the Russian patriarchate metropolitan Ilarion. The Patriarchate of Georgia will host the first honorary guest today. (IPN)