Georgia, Tbilisi, Nov.13 /Trend N.Kirtskhalia/
Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has suggested NATO sends a working group to review the actual state of affairs in the army. This was reported by Ivanishvili in an interview to Channel 9 TV in Brussels.
"We will make an offer to the NATO Secretary General to form a working group to examine what is taking place in our army," Ivanishvili said.
He stressed that he will raise this question as well as the situation with the chief of the joint staff of Georgian Armed Forces Giorgi Kalandadze during talks with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on November 14.
Ivanishvili promised there will be no selective justice in Georgia, as it was before. "Everything will be done in compliance with the law, as never before and we discussed it at meetings in Brussels."
Commenting on the criticisms of the NATO Secretary General in this regard, the Prime Minister noted that "it is outrageous that the Office of the Prosecutor detained a chief of staff and former interior and defence minister. It is a shame for the whole country, but it is a reflection of what was really happening in Georgia and the West also knew about the real situation in the country."
Previously, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, speaking at a session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the alliance in Prague, expressed concern over the politicisation of judicial processes in Georgia.
"I supported the elections in Georgia and the peaceful transfer of power, but I will not deny that I am very concerned about what is happening and in particular, the arrest of political opponents," he said.
Former Georgian interior and defence minister Bacho Akhalaia, former chief of joint staff of Georgian armed forces Giorgi Kalandadze and brigade commander Zurab Shamatava are accused of mistreating soldiers.
They are charged under part 3 of Article 333 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which includes abuse of power, followed by 'an insult to the personal dignity of the victim.', which carries imprisonment from five to eight years.
khalaia has additional charges filed under article 143 'illegal suppression of freedom'. This article carries imprisonment of up to 12 years.
All three detainees deny the charges.