Ombudsperson: Gov’t Fails to Identify Who Stands Behind Circulated Private Footages
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Friday, March 29
Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria says that the state law enforcement agencies fail to identify those people who stand behind the distribution of private footages.
The statement came after the uploading of a politician’s private footage late on Tuesday on YouTube, with thousands of people managed to watch it.
The footage is likely to reflect the private life of MP Eka Beselia, who has demanded the arrest of the people initiating the distribution of her private life footage in a month time.
"Today we have questions to the Prosecutor's Office regarding the distribution of similar footage years ago. It has not yet been clarified who was the initiator of the crime. We should request the Chief Prosecutor to provide detailed information about the pace of investigation and reasons which hamper them to identify offenders,” Lomjaria said.
One individual, as it said a minor, has been detained for uploading the latest footage.
Deputy Interior Minister Natia Mezvrishvili said that “he is an ordinary citizen and the offense has no client.”
Seventeen individuals were detained for the possession and distribution of the private footage of MP Eka Beselia in February 2019.
Three out of 17 detained were sent to pre-trial detention, while 14 were released on bail.
Recording, storing and distributing footage related to an individual's personal and intimate life is a crime which is punishable by imprisonment from four to eight years.
Beselia says that that the private footage was recorded under the United National Movement leadership to blackmail her.
The Georgian Dream leadership, which came into power in 2012, destroyed more than 181 hour-long materials depicting private lives.
However, part of such videos was saved as they were required for investigation.
The Georgian parliament approved a surveillance bill back in November 2014 to provide strong sanctions for illegal surveillance and leaking footage of an individual’s personal life.
There were several cases under the current state leadership when private footage went viral.
Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that investigation of such crimes is complicated and the county may request international support.
