The Public Defender of Georgia is echoing the alleged abuse of Iberia TV journalist GiorgiGasviani on December 18, 2016. According to media reports, M.Kh. a police officer of the Borjomi District Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and his two companions, who were drunk, physically and verbally abused journalist GiorgiGasviani in the vicinity of the Borjomi Crown Plaza hotel in the town of Borjomi. According to the Chief Prosecutor's Office, an investigation was launched in the Borjomi District Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on December 19, 2016, under part 1 of article 126 (violence) of the Criminal Code of Georgia following the notification received from the “112” service, though the case was then transferred to the Samtskhe-Javakheti District Prosecutor's Office for further investigation and subparagraph “b” of part 3 of article 333 (abuse of power by official through violence or with the use of weapon) was added to it.

According to the media reports, the police officer, accused by the journalist of abusing him, has been suspended from his duties. The Public Defender considers that if there is an assumption or a particular person indicates that a police officer committed violence against him/her, suspension of police officer’s duties should be an established practice until the end of the investigation. Therefore, the Public Defender welcomes the abovementioned decision.

Monitoring of investigations of similar cases is one of the priorities for the Public Defender. The Public Defender’s Office is studying a number of cases relating to alleged violence or ill-treatment committed by police officers. Unfortunately, investigation of similar cases is often inefficient and delayed; review of such cases by the court is also often delayed.

In order to minimize the cases of violence committed by law enforcement officers and to avoid the perception that violation of law and commission of violence by law enforcers are left without adequate response, the Public Defender calls on the Chief Prosecutor's Office to conduct a comprehensive, thorough and objective investigation and to strictly punish the offenders that are hiding behind the uniform of law enforcement officers and thus commit violence, violate human dignity and verbally and physically abuse individuals.