Tbilisi, Georgia, Jan.26
By Nana Kirtzkhalia - Trend:
Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks is concerned about the statement of Georgian government members violating the presumption of innocence, the commissioner said on Jan.25 at a press conference in Tbilisi on the results of the visit to Georgia.
During the visit Muiznieks met with the top officials of the state, the representatives of opposition and the majority of parliament and non-governmental sector.
The European commissioner said that he has a number of questions and claims with regard to the implementation of the electoral law.
"It should be noted that there is a manifestation of the old principle of justice in the trial of former senior officials, when the defense is put on an unequal footing with the prosecution. Other deviations from the law are also noticeable in respect of these cases," the commissioner said.
The European commissioner also emphasized the facts of pressure on the local authorities.
Muiznieks believes that there are also a number of facts of violence in respect of former Prime Minister Vano Merabishvili's case.
Meanwhile, Muiznieks pointed out the democratic reforms recently conducted in Georgia in the sphere of human rights protection and prisoners' rights. The commissioner welcomed the measures taken by the government on preventing the illegal wiretapping and video surveillance systems and highlighted the creation of inspectorate for protection of citizens' data.
Translated by L.Z.