 Strasbourg,
11.12. 2012 - Following his visit to Tbilisi and Kutaisi from 5 to 7 December,
Boriss Cilevics (Latvia SOC), co-rapporteur of the Assembly for Georgia, called
on the political majority and opposition to fully respect each other’s
constitutional roles and, in the interest of all Georgian citizens, ensure that
the cohabitation between President and Government works. He called on all
political forces to overcome the polarisation and rhetoric that had
characterised the election campaign and to refrain from any actions that would
needlessly increase tensions in the political environment. In this context he
welcomed assurances by the ruling majority that clear messages would be given to
their supporters that any undue pressure on local officials belonging to the
opposition would not be tolerated.
During the visit, Mr Cilevics expressed the
rapporteurs’ concerns about the recent arrests of a number of former government
officials. Mr Cilevics emphasised that there should be no impunity for any
crimes, irrespective of who committed them. However, at the same time, he called
upon the authorities to ensure that no selective or revanchist justice take
place and that all investigations and prosecutions be conducted impartially,
with full transparency and respect for the principles of a fair trial as
enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights. “These processes should
not only be fair and impartial, they should be equally be seen as suchâ€
emphasised Mr Cilevics.
In the
same vein, he cautioned the Parliament not to inadvertently overstep its own
constitutional role and expressed his hope that all the cases on the list of
alleged political prisoners that had been adopted by the parliament, would
receive proper judicial review before any action was undertaken or final status
conferred. Given the seriousness of
this issue, such a review should take place without any further delay.
The
rapporteur welcomed the many reform initiatives taken by the new authorities,
especially those to combat impunity and strengthen the independence of the
judiciary, which are important priorities in the ongoing monitoring procedure
for the country. He also welcomed the
willingness of the authorities to explore possibilities to improve relations
between Georgia and Russia.
For more information see: www.coe.int / www.coe.ge |
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