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NATO head concerned by judicial process in Georgia

Georgia Materials 12 November 2012 18:17 (UTC +04:00)
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has expressed concern over the politicization of the judicial process in Georgia, speaking at a session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Prague, Rustavi-2 reported on Monday.
NATO head concerned by judicial process in Georgia

Georgia, Tbilisi, Nov 12 /Trend N.Kirtzkhalia/

NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has expressed concern over the politicization of the judicial process in Georgia, speaking at a session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Prague, Rustavi-2 reported on Monday.

"I support the elections in Georgia and the peaceful transfer of power, but I will not deny that I am very concerned about what is happening, especially by the arrest of political opponents," he said.

Rasmussen said NATO will continue to support the integration of Georgia into the alliance and is not going to interfere with the legal issues, but there are standards that must be respected.

"The trials shouldn't be politically motivated," Rasmussen said.

Former Defense Minister Bacho Akhalaia, former chief of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces of Georgia Giorgi Kalandadze and former commander of the fourth brigade of Georgian armed forces Zurab Shamatava accused of mistreating soldiers.

The defendants are charged with mistreatment of soldiers, under part 3 of Article 333 of the Criminal Code of Georgia. This includes abuse of power, followed by "an insult to the personal dignity of the victim," and carries 5 to 8 years imprisonment.

Akhalaia was also charged under article 143 - "illegal suppression of freedom" - which carries up to 12 years imprisonment.

All three detainees deny the charges.

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