The News in Brief
Monday, December 10
PM hosted PACE delegation
Prime Minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili met with the representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe at the government's chancellery on December 7. The Prime Minister thanked the European politicians for their support of the Georgian people and for their role in the process of regulating Georgia-Russia relations. The sides discussed Georgia-Russian relations and emphasized the need for developing self-governments in Georgia. The sides also discussed the current political situation in Georgia and expressed their hope that the new government would succeed to meet the challenges effectively.
(Rustavi 2)
Georgia has new Public Defender
Ucha Nanuashvili will be Georgia's new Public Defender for the next 5 years. The parliament approved his candidacy 82 to 18.
Nanuashvili, 38, has been working at Tbilisi's Human Rights Centre for 15 years. He is the founder and director.
(GHN)
Soso Ghuzarauli: I Was Detained Personally by Bacho Akhalaia, Gigi Kalandadze and Davit Chakua
Former military man Soso Ghuzarauli has been pardoned by the President. Ghuzarauli told InterPressNews that he was detained personally by Bacho Akhalaia, Gigi Kalandadze and Davit Chakua in Kutaisi in 2010, while the MIA spread information as if he was arrested in Pankisi Gorge. Soso Ghuzarauli was charged with illegal gun possession, though the former military man says he was detained for other reason.
“I worked at the National training centre in Krtsanisi, as head of the instructors’ team. I was arrested in Kutaisi, where the arrest operation was headed by Bacho Akhalaia, Gigi Kalandadze and Davit Chakua. The llegal purchase and possession of a firearm was the final stage, as there were other allegations against me. None of the allegations were proven. I don’t deny that I had a weapon, I had no time to arrange the license-related issues, but everyone knew everything about it. MIA released the information after the arrest as if I was detained in Pankisi and I was involved in the arms trade. It makes me think they had something serious in mind, which they could not prove and at last it was decided to charge me with procession of weapon,” Ghuzarauli said.
He says that Bacho Akhalaia himself was involved in the activity of the sub divisions and he solved issues of appointing personnel instead of the Joint Staff. He said the stories about officials exceeding official power is true, though it is difficult to prove with documents as military men were banned from recording video or using telephone. Ghuzarauli has already addressed the prosecutor’s office for a reinvestigation and wants to return to the Ministry of Defense if justice is restored.
(IPN)
Ex-official`s lawyer releases a statement
Lawyer of the former chief of the Constitutional Security Department Data Akhalaia, who was sent to pre-trial detention in absentia, has released a statement regarding the ruling of the Tbilisi City Court. Irakli Zakareishvili complains about the gaps in the criminal code, due to which the ruling of the Tbilisi City Court cannot be appealed without the presence of the defendant. Data Akhalaia is not in Georgia currently. The defense objects to the preventive ruling against Akhalaia and wants to appeal it, but the procedure is impossible without the signature of the defendant. "I categorically assert that the pre-trial detention ruling is unfair, illegal and unconvincing. In the judge's statement, it is unintelligible why less strict preventive measures could not be used against the defendant," the lawyer says in the statement
(Rustavi 2)
Chairpersons of several self-government bodies resign
Local self-governments in Senaki, Tsalenjikha and Khobi, have new chairpersons after the previous chairmen submitted resignations last night. These persons have resigned from their positions. However, they will remain members of the United National Movement faction in the assemblies.
From now on, the assembly of Khobi will be chaired by member of the Georgian Dream coalition Mamuka Kardava, the Tsalenjikha assembly– by Georgian Dream member Davit Belkania and the Senaki assembly– by Georgian Dream member Murad Partsvania.
The governors of Tsalenjikha and Khobi municipalities have also signed resignations.
(Rustavi 2)
UNM activists and several officials arrested
The Gori regional prosecutor's office has arrested several activists of the United National Movement and some municipal officials on charges of hooliganism and oppression.
The prosecutor's office released a statement regarding the crime, according to which, four officials– the chief specialist of the Eredvi municipality Besik Kakhniashvili, chief specialist of the municipal social service Jangir Mchedlishvili, head of the fiscal-budgetary division Gogita Gochashviil and the chief of the social service department Levan Maisuradze, demanded that a local take off a T-shirt with the logo of the Georgian Dream and step on it. The person refused to do so, after which, the four officials insulted him and tried to beat him up, but the person managed to escape and hide behind a market nearby. The incident did not end with this, the four officials cried and shouted at locals who had attended a rally of the Georgian Dream three days before.
According to the statement, a similar group of men beat up several locals; damaged vehicles parked nearby and even tried to break down a door of one of the houses to intrude inside. Locals called for the police who in turn arrested them.
Three of the suspects except Besik Kakhniashvili, who escaped, have been arrested. Kakhniashvili is wanted by police.
(Rustavi 2)
Prime Minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili met with the representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe at the government's chancellery on December 7. The Prime Minister thanked the European politicians for their support of the Georgian people and for their role in the process of regulating Georgia-Russia relations. The sides discussed Georgia-Russian relations and emphasized the need for developing self-governments in Georgia. The sides also discussed the current political situation in Georgia and expressed their hope that the new government would succeed to meet the challenges effectively.
(Rustavi 2)
Georgia has new Public Defender
Ucha Nanuashvili will be Georgia's new Public Defender for the next 5 years. The parliament approved his candidacy 82 to 18.
Nanuashvili, 38, has been working at Tbilisi's Human Rights Centre for 15 years. He is the founder and director.
(GHN)
Soso Ghuzarauli: I Was Detained Personally by Bacho Akhalaia, Gigi Kalandadze and Davit Chakua
Former military man Soso Ghuzarauli has been pardoned by the President. Ghuzarauli told InterPressNews that he was detained personally by Bacho Akhalaia, Gigi Kalandadze and Davit Chakua in Kutaisi in 2010, while the MIA spread information as if he was arrested in Pankisi Gorge. Soso Ghuzarauli was charged with illegal gun possession, though the former military man says he was detained for other reason.
“I worked at the National training centre in Krtsanisi, as head of the instructors’ team. I was arrested in Kutaisi, where the arrest operation was headed by Bacho Akhalaia, Gigi Kalandadze and Davit Chakua. The llegal purchase and possession of a firearm was the final stage, as there were other allegations against me. None of the allegations were proven. I don’t deny that I had a weapon, I had no time to arrange the license-related issues, but everyone knew everything about it. MIA released the information after the arrest as if I was detained in Pankisi and I was involved in the arms trade. It makes me think they had something serious in mind, which they could not prove and at last it was decided to charge me with procession of weapon,” Ghuzarauli said.
He says that Bacho Akhalaia himself was involved in the activity of the sub divisions and he solved issues of appointing personnel instead of the Joint Staff. He said the stories about officials exceeding official power is true, though it is difficult to prove with documents as military men were banned from recording video or using telephone. Ghuzarauli has already addressed the prosecutor’s office for a reinvestigation and wants to return to the Ministry of Defense if justice is restored.
(IPN)
Ex-official`s lawyer releases a statement
Lawyer of the former chief of the Constitutional Security Department Data Akhalaia, who was sent to pre-trial detention in absentia, has released a statement regarding the ruling of the Tbilisi City Court. Irakli Zakareishvili complains about the gaps in the criminal code, due to which the ruling of the Tbilisi City Court cannot be appealed without the presence of the defendant. Data Akhalaia is not in Georgia currently. The defense objects to the preventive ruling against Akhalaia and wants to appeal it, but the procedure is impossible without the signature of the defendant. "I categorically assert that the pre-trial detention ruling is unfair, illegal and unconvincing. In the judge's statement, it is unintelligible why less strict preventive measures could not be used against the defendant," the lawyer says in the statement
(Rustavi 2)
Chairpersons of several self-government bodies resign
Local self-governments in Senaki, Tsalenjikha and Khobi, have new chairpersons after the previous chairmen submitted resignations last night. These persons have resigned from their positions. However, they will remain members of the United National Movement faction in the assemblies.
From now on, the assembly of Khobi will be chaired by member of the Georgian Dream coalition Mamuka Kardava, the Tsalenjikha assembly– by Georgian Dream member Davit Belkania and the Senaki assembly– by Georgian Dream member Murad Partsvania.
The governors of Tsalenjikha and Khobi municipalities have also signed resignations.
(Rustavi 2)
UNM activists and several officials arrested
The Gori regional prosecutor's office has arrested several activists of the United National Movement and some municipal officials on charges of hooliganism and oppression.
The prosecutor's office released a statement regarding the crime, according to which, four officials– the chief specialist of the Eredvi municipality Besik Kakhniashvili, chief specialist of the municipal social service Jangir Mchedlishvili, head of the fiscal-budgetary division Gogita Gochashviil and the chief of the social service department Levan Maisuradze, demanded that a local take off a T-shirt with the logo of the Georgian Dream and step on it. The person refused to do so, after which, the four officials insulted him and tried to beat him up, but the person managed to escape and hide behind a market nearby. The incident did not end with this, the four officials cried and shouted at locals who had attended a rally of the Georgian Dream three days before.
According to the statement, a similar group of men beat up several locals; damaged vehicles parked nearby and even tried to break down a door of one of the houses to intrude inside. Locals called for the police who in turn arrested them.
Three of the suspects except Besik Kakhniashvili, who escaped, have been arrested. Kakhniashvili is wanted by police.
(Rustavi 2)