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The News in Brief

Friday, February 7
By Liza Mchedlidze



Mamuka Khazaradze: ‘Georgian authorities have done everything to stop the Anaklia project’

The Georgian authorities have done their best to stop the Anaklia project, Mamuka Khazaradze, leader of the political union Try for Georgia, told reporters.

Khazaradze responded to a statement by Ben Hodges, the former commander of the US Army in Europe, who said that Russia had done everything to undermine the Anaklia project and that the Georgian government was relinquishing Kremlin pressure.

"This is completely true, the Georgian authorities have done everything to stop the Anaklia project. This is the situation today, but I repeat that Anaklia is the most important project for our country, for our future, both economically and securely, will start as soon as we remove the Georgian Dream from power. Any other statement by the ministers that they support the Anaklia project is untrue because the actions and deliberate attack on the Anaklia project over the past two years demonstrate their sentiment that they are not eager to have the Anaklia project implemented,” stressed Khazaradze.



Prosecutor’s office did not identify releasing footage of Ombudsman’s visit to prison as crime

According to Nino Lomjaria’s statement, the Prosecutor's office informed her that the investigation regarding illicit releasing of her meeting with prisoners will not be launched as Prosecution did not identify any signs of crime.

Lomjaria said that the decision is groundless and that she is planning on making the Prosecutor's letter public for people to 'know what arguments the prosecutor's office makes when they are refusing to launch an investigation.'

Ombudsman is hoping to receive support from international partners and organizations specifying on prisoners’ rights.

Lomjaria called on the prosecutor's office to launch an investigation after the penitentiary board released information about the meeting with prisoners. The ombudsman is convinced that the Minister of Justice Tea Tsulukiani was involved in illegal surveillance against her. She says the official letter would not be published by the Penitentiary Service without Minister Tsulukiani’s consent.

The Penitentiary Service responded to allegations made by Lomjaria, saying that they do not hold an obligation of keeping Ombudsman’s visits to prison a secret and they have not violated any legislative norms voiced by Lomjaria.