Press Release
Council of Europe Office in Georgia
26, Kakabadzeebi Brothers street, 0108 Tbilisi, Georgia
Tel.: +995 32 291 38 70 / 71 / 72 / 73
Fax: +995 32 291 38 74
E-mail: informtbilisi@coe.int
www.coe.ge
Strasbourg,
4/12/2012 – “The Georgian authorities should address long-standing concerns
about ill-treatment of prisoners and other detained persons by public officials
and take effective steps to repair the system of accountability. Constant
vigilance is necessary to ensure the effectiveness of the absolute prohibition
of torture. I intend to focus on these issues in my dialogue with the
authorities, including during my next visit to Georgia” said the Council of
Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Nils Muižnieks, on today’s publication of
his
letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Georgia, Mr Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Acknowledging that several swift measures have been taken in response to the prison abuse scandal and noting the Georgian authorities’ pledge that such human rights violations would no longer be tolerated, the Commissioner stresses that it is now necessary to carry out effective investigations to identify and punish those responsible for ill-treatment of persons deprived of their liberty.
“Besides the direct perpetrators of these abuses, those officials who ordered or were informed of the abuse should be held accountable. Suitable penalties, commensurate to the gravity of the offences, should follow, but justice must not be selective. The investigation and judicial processes must comply with human rights standards so as to preserve the integrity and credibility of the institutions responsible for upholding the law.”
The Commissioner also underlines that it is crucial to ensure that victims, witnesses and their families be protected, including against retaliation from those officials who were implicated in the cases concerned, and be provided with adequate legal remedies, as well as medical and psycho-social assistance.
Finally, Commissioner Muižnieks stresses that the phenomenon of ill-treatment in prisons should not be viewed in isolation from the penitentiary system and criminal justice policy in general. “Georgia has the highest rate of imprisonment in Europe, which stems partly from the stringent policy of “zero tolerance” of petty crime and the disproportionately lengthy sentences imposed. A more humane and human rights oriented criminal justice policy should be adopted and the resort to detention on remand and imprisonment reduced”.
The reply of the Prime Minister of Georgia is available here.
Press contact in the Commissioner’s Office:
Stefano Montanari, + 33 (0)6 61 14 70 37; stefano.montanari@coe.int
www.commissioner.coe.int; Twitter: @CommissionerHR
The Commissioner for Human Rights is an independent, non-judicial institution within the Council of Europe, mandated to promote awareness of, and respect for, human rights in the 47 member states of the Organisation. Elected by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the present Commissioner, Mr Nils Muižnieks, took up his function on 1 April 2012
A
political organisation set up in 1949, the Council of Europe works to promote
democracy and human rights continent-wide. It also develops common responses to
social, cultural and legal challenges in its 47 member states.
Council of Europe Office in Georgia