The News in Brief
Friday, July 25
NATO delegation to arrive in Georgia
Georgia is hosting some important guests from NATO.
A NATO Parliamentary delegation has arrived in Tbilisi, led by the President of NATO Parliamentary Assembly Hugh Bayley. Included in the delegation are Assembly vice presidents Daniel Bacquelaine and Karl Lamers, former vice pesident Julio Miranda Calha, and Secretary General David Hobbs.
The guests will start their official visit from July 25. Their first meeting will be held at the NATO Liaison Office (NLO) with the office's head William Lahue and representatives of non-governmental organisations.
After that, the delegation will meet Georgian Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili at Tbilisi Marriot hotel, which will be followed by a joint press conference between Usupashvili and Bayley.
Within the official visit, the delegation members will also meet with Georgian's Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze, President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibshvili, and Defence Minister Irakli Alasania. (agenda.ge)
Bill Limiting Term of Administrative Detention Passed with First Reading
On July 23, Parliament passed with its first reading a legislative amendment envisaging the reduction of the maximum term of imprisonment for administrative offenses from the current 90 days to 15 days.
Georgia’s justice system differentiates between administrative offenses, which are misdemeanors, and criminal offenses. Penalties for administrative offenses range from a fine to imprisonment of up to 90 days. The term of maximum imprisonment for administrative offenses was increased from 30 to 90 days following anti-government street protest rallies in 2009. The bill also tightens detention procedures and broadens detainees’ rights. Under the currently existing code, the police have at least 12 hours to issue administrative offense protocol – a formal statement of a detaining police officer laying out grounds for the detention, meaning that a person can be held in detention for hours without knowing formal grounds of his or her detention. Under the proposed amendments a detaining police officer will be required to inform a detainee about grounds of detention immediately upon when the detention occurs. The police will also be required to read rights to a detainee immediately upon detention. The police, according to the bill, will have to take a detainee to the nearest police station immediately upon the detention. A detainee should also be notified about having the right to name a person whom he or she may want to inform about the detention. Vakhtang Khmaladze, MP from GD ruling coalition who chairs parliamentary committee for legal affairs, told lawmakers at a parliamentary session on July 23 that these legislative amendments were drafted in close cooperation with the Interior Ministry. (civil.ge)
Davit Usupashvili’s visits Israel despite heavy fighting
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Davit Usupashvili’s visit to Israel is underway amid heavy fighting between Israelis and Palestinians.
Davit Usupashvili attended a Knesset session and met with the newly elected President of Israel and the Chairman of the Knesset on Wednesday.
“It was a friendly and timely visit. We discussed issues of cooperation between Georgia and Israel. As you know, we are going to celebrate the Georgian-Jewish 26 century jubilee in October in Georgia and I invited our colleagues from the friendship group to Georgia,” Davit Usupashvili said. (frontnews)
Land given to Georgian Orthodox Church for symbolic price
State-owned 5.037 square meters of non-agricultural land has been given to the Georgian Orthodox Church for the symbolic price of 1 lari.
The decree on the privatization of the state-owned real estate through direct purchase to the Georgian Autocephalous Orthodox Church was issued by Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili.
“We are talking about a 2.574 square meters piece of non-agricultural land in the Akhmeta Municipality, as well as 600 square meters in Kutaisi and 1863 square meters in Tbilisi,” he said.
The State Property National Agency was tasked with ensuring the implementation of the decree. (IPN)
Statement by the Ministry of Internal Affairs
At Alkalkalaki, Aspindza and Ninotsminda police stations of Samtskhe-Javakheti Regional Main Division citizens voluntarily handed over 3428 bullets for automatic weapons, 62 hand grenades of various types, 11 cut guns, 3 pistols, 1 rifle and various types of armament.
Investigation is in progress on the fact of illegal purchase and keeping of firearms and ammunition, article 236, I part of the Criminal Code. (Rustavi 2)
Ministry of Economy to visit Turkey to hold negotiations with TAV Georgia
Minister of Economy Giorgi Kvirikashvili has informed journalists that in order to hold negotiations with TAV Georgia, a delegation from Georgia’s Ministry of Economy will arrive in Turkey.“We plan to visit Turkey. My secretary may go there. They will hold a second round of negotiations, and we will see together what kind of outcome these negotiations will have. The negotiations are to be held behind the scenes; they are confidential.” stated Mr. Kvirikashvili.
In his words, TAV Georgia expresses readiness to fulfill the obligations the agreement has placed on it. As per the Minister, at the end of July, they will complete a deal with the company, and the deal will precipitate an increase in the transit potential of the airport. (IPN)
Georgia is hosting some important guests from NATO.
A NATO Parliamentary delegation has arrived in Tbilisi, led by the President of NATO Parliamentary Assembly Hugh Bayley. Included in the delegation are Assembly vice presidents Daniel Bacquelaine and Karl Lamers, former vice pesident Julio Miranda Calha, and Secretary General David Hobbs.
The guests will start their official visit from July 25. Their first meeting will be held at the NATO Liaison Office (NLO) with the office's head William Lahue and representatives of non-governmental organisations.
After that, the delegation will meet Georgian Parliament Speaker David Usupashvili at Tbilisi Marriot hotel, which will be followed by a joint press conference between Usupashvili and Bayley.
Within the official visit, the delegation members will also meet with Georgian's Foreign Minister Maia Panjikidze, President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Irakli Garibshvili, and Defence Minister Irakli Alasania. (agenda.ge)
Bill Limiting Term of Administrative Detention Passed with First Reading
On July 23, Parliament passed with its first reading a legislative amendment envisaging the reduction of the maximum term of imprisonment for administrative offenses from the current 90 days to 15 days.
Georgia’s justice system differentiates between administrative offenses, which are misdemeanors, and criminal offenses. Penalties for administrative offenses range from a fine to imprisonment of up to 90 days. The term of maximum imprisonment for administrative offenses was increased from 30 to 90 days following anti-government street protest rallies in 2009. The bill also tightens detention procedures and broadens detainees’ rights. Under the currently existing code, the police have at least 12 hours to issue administrative offense protocol – a formal statement of a detaining police officer laying out grounds for the detention, meaning that a person can be held in detention for hours without knowing formal grounds of his or her detention. Under the proposed amendments a detaining police officer will be required to inform a detainee about grounds of detention immediately upon when the detention occurs. The police will also be required to read rights to a detainee immediately upon detention. The police, according to the bill, will have to take a detainee to the nearest police station immediately upon the detention. A detainee should also be notified about having the right to name a person whom he or she may want to inform about the detention. Vakhtang Khmaladze, MP from GD ruling coalition who chairs parliamentary committee for legal affairs, told lawmakers at a parliamentary session on July 23 that these legislative amendments were drafted in close cooperation with the Interior Ministry. (civil.ge)
Davit Usupashvili’s visits Israel despite heavy fighting
Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Davit Usupashvili’s visit to Israel is underway amid heavy fighting between Israelis and Palestinians.
Davit Usupashvili attended a Knesset session and met with the newly elected President of Israel and the Chairman of the Knesset on Wednesday.
“It was a friendly and timely visit. We discussed issues of cooperation between Georgia and Israel. As you know, we are going to celebrate the Georgian-Jewish 26 century jubilee in October in Georgia and I invited our colleagues from the friendship group to Georgia,” Davit Usupashvili said. (frontnews)
Land given to Georgian Orthodox Church for symbolic price
State-owned 5.037 square meters of non-agricultural land has been given to the Georgian Orthodox Church for the symbolic price of 1 lari.
The decree on the privatization of the state-owned real estate through direct purchase to the Georgian Autocephalous Orthodox Church was issued by Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili.
“We are talking about a 2.574 square meters piece of non-agricultural land in the Akhmeta Municipality, as well as 600 square meters in Kutaisi and 1863 square meters in Tbilisi,” he said.
The State Property National Agency was tasked with ensuring the implementation of the decree. (IPN)
Statement by the Ministry of Internal Affairs
At Alkalkalaki, Aspindza and Ninotsminda police stations of Samtskhe-Javakheti Regional Main Division citizens voluntarily handed over 3428 bullets for automatic weapons, 62 hand grenades of various types, 11 cut guns, 3 pistols, 1 rifle and various types of armament.
Investigation is in progress on the fact of illegal purchase and keeping of firearms and ammunition, article 236, I part of the Criminal Code. (Rustavi 2)
Ministry of Economy to visit Turkey to hold negotiations with TAV Georgia
Minister of Economy Giorgi Kvirikashvili has informed journalists that in order to hold negotiations with TAV Georgia, a delegation from Georgia’s Ministry of Economy will arrive in Turkey.“We plan to visit Turkey. My secretary may go there. They will hold a second round of negotiations, and we will see together what kind of outcome these negotiations will have. The negotiations are to be held behind the scenes; they are confidential.” stated Mr. Kvirikashvili.
In his words, TAV Georgia expresses readiness to fulfill the obligations the agreement has placed on it. As per the Minister, at the end of July, they will complete a deal with the company, and the deal will precipitate an increase in the transit potential of the airport. (IPN)