The News in Brief
Thursday, December 13
DAS Melia visits Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia
Thomas Melia, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, along with Catherine Newcombe from the Department of Justice, visited Georgia on December 12 – 13 as part of a regional visit to Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. They will have meetings with Georgian government officials, as well as media and civil society representatives. The United States is committed to supporting democratic development in Georgia that will bring Georgia closer to achieving its Euro-Atlantic aspirations. (US Embassy to Georgia)
Mayor of Tbilisi pays a visit to Austria
Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava visited Austria to celebrate the 30th anniversary of friendship between Tbilisi and the Austrian city of Innsbruck. Ugulava met with the mayor of Innsbruck and attended various events dedicated to the anniversary. Before attending the premier of a documentary film about the friendship of the two cities, Ugulava also spoke about the challenges Tbilisi is facing after the peaceful transition of power after the Parliamentary elections on October 1. He said the most important thing for Tbilisi nowadays is to peacefully cohabitate. (Tbilisi.gov.ge)
Irakli Gharibashvili – Nobody dismissed from MIA based on political motives
Georgian Minister of Internal Affairs (MIA), Irakli Gharibashvili, said at a conference dedicated to security issues, that nobody has been dismissed from the MIA based on political motives.
Discussing the other reforms carried out in the ministry, Gharibashvili said a lot has been done to depolarize the police. “The Constitutional Security and Special Operative Departments have been among the heavy political-repression mechanism in recent times,” said the minister, stressing that it was a public demand to abolish this mechanism. Gharibashvili also spoke about the reforms planned in the police academy. “Intensive consultations with international colleagues are underway and we expect renewed training will start in the academy from January,” Irakli Gharibashvili said. (Interpressnews)
Justice Minister’s interview on French TV
Minister of Justice of Georgia Tea Tsulukiani spoke about the recent detentions of former officials in Georgia during an interview with France’s TV France 24. Tsulukiani focused on several high-profile criminal cases, including the murder of Sandro Girgvliani.
Tsulukiani denied political motives behind the detentions; she said it is a process of finding the truth, demanded by Georgian society.
According to the minister, the Georgian government now has to reduce the number of inmates in Georgian prisons through amnesty and the reduction of sentences on light crimes. However, Tsulukiani also added that the scale of the amnesty required reduction in order to ensure the stability and safety within society. (Rustavi 2)
Duties of board officers at schools changed
The duties of board officers at the public schools of Georgia will be restricted and they will be in charge of controlling discipline at schools and assisting the school administration to communicate with students. The draft document is discussed by the parliament so that after adoption, the changes will come into force starting from the new semester.
Meanwhile, the ministry of education will also provide training for board officers. (Rustavi 2)
GYLA prepares a survey on standards for relation with media
The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) prepared a special survey about standards for relations with the Georgian media.
The analysis was worked out on the basis of the information from different administrative bodies. The authors of the survey claim that administrative bodies have different standards for relations with media mainly based on subjective approaches. (GHN)
Snow cover in Some Khulo Villages Reaches 10 cm
It is snowing in the high mountainous region of Adjara, Khulo. In the Khulo region, the villages of Riketi and Danisparauli, the snow coverage has reached 10 centimeters. The snow did not cause any problems for the locals. Transportation is not restricted. The locals say that “winter has come late in the Khulo region”. Last year, the snow coverage exceeded 3 meters in some villages there. (IPN)
Thomas Melia, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, along with Catherine Newcombe from the Department of Justice, visited Georgia on December 12 – 13 as part of a regional visit to Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia. They will have meetings with Georgian government officials, as well as media and civil society representatives. The United States is committed to supporting democratic development in Georgia that will bring Georgia closer to achieving its Euro-Atlantic aspirations. (US Embassy to Georgia)
Mayor of Tbilisi pays a visit to Austria
Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava visited Austria to celebrate the 30th anniversary of friendship between Tbilisi and the Austrian city of Innsbruck. Ugulava met with the mayor of Innsbruck and attended various events dedicated to the anniversary. Before attending the premier of a documentary film about the friendship of the two cities, Ugulava also spoke about the challenges Tbilisi is facing after the peaceful transition of power after the Parliamentary elections on October 1. He said the most important thing for Tbilisi nowadays is to peacefully cohabitate. (Tbilisi.gov.ge)
Irakli Gharibashvili – Nobody dismissed from MIA based on political motives
Georgian Minister of Internal Affairs (MIA), Irakli Gharibashvili, said at a conference dedicated to security issues, that nobody has been dismissed from the MIA based on political motives.
Discussing the other reforms carried out in the ministry, Gharibashvili said a lot has been done to depolarize the police. “The Constitutional Security and Special Operative Departments have been among the heavy political-repression mechanism in recent times,” said the minister, stressing that it was a public demand to abolish this mechanism. Gharibashvili also spoke about the reforms planned in the police academy. “Intensive consultations with international colleagues are underway and we expect renewed training will start in the academy from January,” Irakli Gharibashvili said. (Interpressnews)
Justice Minister’s interview on French TV
Minister of Justice of Georgia Tea Tsulukiani spoke about the recent detentions of former officials in Georgia during an interview with France’s TV France 24. Tsulukiani focused on several high-profile criminal cases, including the murder of Sandro Girgvliani.
Tsulukiani denied political motives behind the detentions; she said it is a process of finding the truth, demanded by Georgian society.
According to the minister, the Georgian government now has to reduce the number of inmates in Georgian prisons through amnesty and the reduction of sentences on light crimes. However, Tsulukiani also added that the scale of the amnesty required reduction in order to ensure the stability and safety within society. (Rustavi 2)
Duties of board officers at schools changed
The duties of board officers at the public schools of Georgia will be restricted and they will be in charge of controlling discipline at schools and assisting the school administration to communicate with students. The draft document is discussed by the parliament so that after adoption, the changes will come into force starting from the new semester.
Meanwhile, the ministry of education will also provide training for board officers. (Rustavi 2)
GYLA prepares a survey on standards for relation with media
The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) prepared a special survey about standards for relations with the Georgian media.
The analysis was worked out on the basis of the information from different administrative bodies. The authors of the survey claim that administrative bodies have different standards for relations with media mainly based on subjective approaches. (GHN)
Snow cover in Some Khulo Villages Reaches 10 cm
It is snowing in the high mountainous region of Adjara, Khulo. In the Khulo region, the villages of Riketi and Danisparauli, the snow coverage has reached 10 centimeters. The snow did not cause any problems for the locals. Transportation is not restricted. The locals say that “winter has come late in the Khulo region”. Last year, the snow coverage exceeded 3 meters in some villages there. (IPN)