Restrictions for Photo and Video Materials about the Accused

Amendments might be introduced to the Administrative Code of Georgia which will impose additional restrictions on media outlets to release information identifying the accused person.

The author of the legislative initiative is MP Rati Maisuradze. He said publication of photo and video-materials must be restricted to make identification of the accused person impossible.

He added that some exceptions will also exist. “If the accused is a public figure and there is high public interest about him/her and if valid evidence proves the guiltiness of the suspect, the restrictions will not work in this case. There are exceptions and palliative circumstances envisaged in the Criminal Code of Georgia. The court might find the accused person non-guilty and relatively, she/he will be insulted and discredited without any grounds that is violation of human rights and contradicts the Constitution of Georgia,” Rati Maisuradze said.

Rati Maisuradze intends to initiate the draft-law at the parliament in near future.

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