Archil Kbilashvili Plans to Make an Announcement about Prime Minister’s Proposals Tomorrow

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The Chief prosecutor Archil Kbilashvili plans to make an official announcement about the Prime Minster’s proposals regarding Vladimer Bedukadze, the maker of the prison torture footage tomorrow. As InterPressNews was told by Archie Kbilashvili, he will speak about this at a press conference tomorrow, scheduled to be held at 12:00.

The Prime minister of Georgia Bidzina Ivanishvili considers that the arguments to free Vladimer Bedukadze from responsibility is unconvincing and addresses the chief prosecutor to review the decision”, Bidzina Ivanishvili’s statement says.

“As it is known to the public, on the basis of the mediation of the chief prosecutor Archil Kbilashvili, the court decided to free Bedukadze, who was accused of prison torture and inhumane and degrading treatment from criminal responsibility, which I learned later from the mass media representatives. They asked me to assess this decision and I promised them that after studying it in detail, I would make an announcement and express my personal attitude about this issue.

I have not even once interfered in the prosecutor’s office activity and I’m not going to in the future.

It’s obvious that there may be threats and risks of certain mistakes in the unprecedented quality of independence granted to the prosecutor’s office from the political leadership. But I strongly believe that public interest of the prosecutor’s office independence much exceeds the negative results that may follow making wrong and ungrounded decisions in separate cases. 

As for Bedukadze’s case, I’ve been introduced to all the arguments that were a foundation of the decision and I want to declare that to me personally they were not sufficient and convincing. I’m sure that no particular circumstance can be the foundation to fully release the person who committed torture from criminal responsibility. Also the loyalty towards other figures in this case by reaching inadequately soft verdicts left a feeling of dissatisfaction. 

I consider that this is inadmissible, especially when a blatant violation of human rights and permanent practice of mass infringements was almost established in terms of the previous government. These decisions will hinder the effort to avoid this grave crime in the future. I want to ask the chief prosecutor of Georgia, who represents the executive government unlike the court and that’s why I can address him directly – to once more critically review the decisions and if he agrees with my opinions may be there will be legal ways to reexamine them”, The statement says.