The News in Brief
Wednesday, July 8
Russian occupiers shoot at Georgian police checkpoint
Russian occupiers opened fire towards a Georgian police checkpoint in Gali late last night. Shooting was heard at 3 a.m. The occupiers shot mortars from the Enguri Bridge.
Before the incident over 1,500 soldiers and military vehicles suddenly appeared at the administrative border of breakaway Abkhazia. The occupiers also blocked movement on the bridge, preventing local Georgians travelling to Zugdidi and robbed passengers on a bus in the village of Shida Nabakevi.
The local population has asked for help. EU monitors have already inspected the scene. (Rustavi 2)
Georgia rejects Glukhov extradition
The Ministry of Justice of Georgia has rejected the Russian Prosecutor General's Office plea for the extradition of the deserting soldier Glukhov, its website reports.
Glukhov is facing charges of desertion, having left his unit in South Ossetia in late January and approached Georgian police requesting asylum. The Ministry of Refugees and Accomodation satisfied Glukhov’s request for asylum before being asked to extradite him, states the Ministry of Justice.
The Ministry reports that according to Article 33 of the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the status of refugees Georgia has right to refuse to extradite someone to a country where he faces a threat. Therefore the Ministry rejected the Russian Prosecutor General's Office request for Glukhov’s extradition on June16, having received it via the Swiss Embassy on June 1.
Glukhov left his unit on January 26 and asked the Georgian police for help because of bad conditions in his unit. The Russian Ministry of Defence initially accused the Georgian side of kidnapping Glukhov. (Interpressnews)
Opposition leaders met with diplomats and experts
The leaders of the non-Parliamentary opposition met foreign Ambassadors yesterday and gave them their complaints regarding the draft amendments to the law on protests and public meetings. The opposition leaders object to amendments which allegedly state that freedom of speech will become illegal. Political experts also attended the meeting, which was held in the Hotel Tori.
“The Government is trying to begin a new wave of repressions by amending the law on protests and public meetings,” the opposition leaders said before the meeting. (Rustavi 2)
Four arrested for forging documents
The Investigation Department of the Ministry of Incomes has arrested four people on suspicion of forging and selling tax invoices. The investigators state that Gela Tsetskhladze, Zviad Gadelia, Mevlud Getsadze and Giorgi Artsivadze were selling counterfeit tax invoices on behalf of various companies. Reportedly, these financial machinations inflicted about 3 million GEL damage on the state budget.
The investigation is in progress. The detainees may face from 4 to 7 years in jail if found guilty. (Rustavi 2)
Opposition leader demands reforms in healthcare sector
The Movement for Fair Georgia, led by ex-PM of Georgia Zurab Noghaideli, disapproves of state healthcare policy. Noghaideli says reforms in the healthcare sector have been ineffective and reforms should begin with the budget.
Noghaideli believes that funds are being misappropriated. The opposition leader spoke about the problems with medical insurance, disease prevention and the privatisation of hospitals at a news conference yesterday.
Noghaideli said the problem of drug addiction is still very topical in the country, and his party has developed a solution to it which he is proposing to the Government. (Rustavi 2)
Russian occupiers opened fire towards a Georgian police checkpoint in Gali late last night. Shooting was heard at 3 a.m. The occupiers shot mortars from the Enguri Bridge.
Before the incident over 1,500 soldiers and military vehicles suddenly appeared at the administrative border of breakaway Abkhazia. The occupiers also blocked movement on the bridge, preventing local Georgians travelling to Zugdidi and robbed passengers on a bus in the village of Shida Nabakevi.
The local population has asked for help. EU monitors have already inspected the scene. (Rustavi 2)
Georgia rejects Glukhov extradition
The Ministry of Justice of Georgia has rejected the Russian Prosecutor General's Office plea for the extradition of the deserting soldier Glukhov, its website reports.
Glukhov is facing charges of desertion, having left his unit in South Ossetia in late January and approached Georgian police requesting asylum. The Ministry of Refugees and Accomodation satisfied Glukhov’s request for asylum before being asked to extradite him, states the Ministry of Justice.
The Ministry reports that according to Article 33 of the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the status of refugees Georgia has right to refuse to extradite someone to a country where he faces a threat. Therefore the Ministry rejected the Russian Prosecutor General's Office request for Glukhov’s extradition on June16, having received it via the Swiss Embassy on June 1.
Glukhov left his unit on January 26 and asked the Georgian police for help because of bad conditions in his unit. The Russian Ministry of Defence initially accused the Georgian side of kidnapping Glukhov. (Interpressnews)
Opposition leaders met with diplomats and experts
The leaders of the non-Parliamentary opposition met foreign Ambassadors yesterday and gave them their complaints regarding the draft amendments to the law on protests and public meetings. The opposition leaders object to amendments which allegedly state that freedom of speech will become illegal. Political experts also attended the meeting, which was held in the Hotel Tori.
“The Government is trying to begin a new wave of repressions by amending the law on protests and public meetings,” the opposition leaders said before the meeting. (Rustavi 2)
Four arrested for forging documents
The Investigation Department of the Ministry of Incomes has arrested four people on suspicion of forging and selling tax invoices. The investigators state that Gela Tsetskhladze, Zviad Gadelia, Mevlud Getsadze and Giorgi Artsivadze were selling counterfeit tax invoices on behalf of various companies. Reportedly, these financial machinations inflicted about 3 million GEL damage on the state budget.
The investigation is in progress. The detainees may face from 4 to 7 years in jail if found guilty. (Rustavi 2)
Opposition leader demands reforms in healthcare sector
The Movement for Fair Georgia, led by ex-PM of Georgia Zurab Noghaideli, disapproves of state healthcare policy. Noghaideli says reforms in the healthcare sector have been ineffective and reforms should begin with the budget.
Noghaideli believes that funds are being misappropriated. The opposition leader spoke about the problems with medical insurance, disease prevention and the privatisation of hospitals at a news conference yesterday.
Noghaideli said the problem of drug addiction is still very topical in the country, and his party has developed a solution to it which he is proposing to the Government. (Rustavi 2)