The Committee considered with the II reading the draft on Imprisonment Code, introduced by the Head of the Legal Department of the Ministry of Corrections, Alexander Darakhvelidze. The draft envisages higher education for low risk convicts in the prisons and convicts in Juvenile Detention Departments will be allowed having higher education on the first stage (Bachelor’s degree).
The next change concerns temporary leave of the convict. According to the current edition, the fee shall be paid by the relative of the convict. The draft envisages exemption of the family with low income from payment of the fee. He noted that definition of break is reformulated. Namely, crossing the protective fence shall be considered as prison break and in case of convoying the convict – crossing of the established line. Another change concerns the right of phone call for the high risk convicts. Currently, convicts are allowed making 10-minute phone call per month. “We offer two phone calls for convicts not exceeding 15 minutes each and in case of encouragement, they can be granted additional phone call of 15 minutes”.
The draft envisages additional mechanisms for re-socialization/rehabilitation of the convicts, ability of higher education for them and set up of the penitential department for preparation of convicts for release, as well as improvement of release ahead of time, elimination of illegal actions on the department territory and provision of due functioning of the penitential department. The Committee supported the draft.
The Committee considered with the III reading the draft on Elimination of Domestic Violence and Protection and Aid for the Victims developed in view of compliance of Georgian legislation with the CoE Convention on Prevention and Elimination of Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention). The changes regulate not only elimination of domestic violence or protection of the victims but they shall apply to violence against women taking place in their public or personal life. Hence, the law shall be retitled.
Violation against women shall be defined as all the action of violence committed on gender basis resulting in physical, sexual, mental or economic damage or torture, including menace of violence, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of freedom in public or personal life of women. Respective changes shall be adopted to the Articles defining protection of victim of domestic violence, prevention of violence etc. The change concerns issue of retaining order to be issued without Court decision. The Committee supported the draft.
The Committee considered with the III reading the draft on Insolvency Proceedings, extending the list of the creditors entitled to demand opening of insolvency proceeding. The new Article envisages all the creditors demands of which are recognized by the Court to be entitled to inquire information about proceedings from the guardian towards the debtor and related documentation. The draft empowers the debtor to apply for not only bankruptcy but for rehabilitation as well. In the latter case, the application shall be enclosed with the rehabilitation project. The changes envisage the damage to the creditors to be considered as actions committed during 1 year before appealing to the Court on insolvency instead of 6 months and if the preferred creditor or counteragent (person or agency, assuming obligations) is the relative of the debtor, the term constitutes 2 years instead of 1 year. The Committee supported the draft.
The Committee supported the draft on Code of Administrative Offenses aiming at establishment of administrative-legal responsibility to the natural or legal person acoustic noise of which exceeds established norm. The draft is developed by the working group headed by Levan Gogichaishivli.
Related items
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THE BUDGET AND FINANCE COMMITTEE DISCUSSED WITH THE II READING THE DRAFT CUSTOMS CODE AND THE DRAFT TAX CODE
The Committee discussed the Draft Customs Code and the Draft Tax Code with the II reading and accelerated manner.
As the Deputy Finance Minister, Mamuka Baratashvili stated, the Bill extends the validity of certain norms to 2023.
The technical and editorial changes are to be introduced to the Tax Code. The Committee approved the Drafts.
Parliament of Georgia
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The NATO Military Committee to visit Georgia
The NATO Military Committee and its Chairman, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach will be in Tbilisi, Georgia on 27 and 28 March 2019.
As a show of support to its long-time partner, the NATO Military Committee will hold a meeting in the NATO-Georgia format chaired by the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Air Chief Marshal Peach and the Georgian Minister of Defence, Mr Levan Izoria. The opening remarks will be open to the media. The NATO Military Committee will receive an overview of the regional security situation, including the occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and the Black Sea. The NATO Military Representatives will then be briefed on the ongoing implementation of the Substantial NATO-Georgia Package, the ongoing Georgian Reforms as well as the continuing Georgian contributions to NATO operations and exercises.
On the 28th of March, the NATO Military Committee will head to the Vaziani Military Base to receive a briefing from the Combat Training Centre and visit the Georgia Defence Readiness Programme, a bilateral programme designed, by the US, to improve Georgian troops’ combat readiness and develop a self-sustaining institutional capacity to man, train and equip their national missions.
The NATO Military Committee will then proceed to the Joint Training and Evaluation Centre to observe the “NATO-Georgia Exercise 2019”. This joint multinational brigade-level, Command Post exercise aims to further develop the interoperability of Georgian, Allied and Partner Forces, as well as Georgian command and control capabilities.
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Regulatory and legal framework of Turkmen – Afghan cooperation is supplemented with ten documents
Bilateral documents signing ceremony took places upon the completion of extended format Turkmen – Afghan talks. Regulatory and legal framework of Turkmen – Afghan cooperation is supplemented with ten documents, which are to support the steadfast development of interstate dialog.
Under the applauses of the participants, the Heads of two State put their signatures under the Agreement on Strategic Cooperation between Turkmenistan and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and joint Statement of President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mohammad Ashraf Ghani.
The Memorandum of Understanding on Development of Cooperation in Oil and Gas Sphere, Memorandum of Understanding on Increment of Volumes of Turkmen Energy supplied to Herat Province of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Affairs, the Agreement on Air Communication, the Agreement on International Railway Transit Point on Turkmen – Afghan State border have been signed on the government level.
The Memorandum of Understanding on Construction of Akina – Andhoy Railroad between the Türkmendemirýollary Agency of the Ministry of Industry and Communication of Turkmenistan and the Railway Transport Department of Afghanistan has also been signed. Regulations of organization of railway communication between Serhetabat and Turgundy railway station of Turkmen – Afghan border have been adopted.
In addition, the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the Magtumguly Institute of Language, Literature and National Manuscripts of the Academy of Science of Turkmenistan and National Archive of Afghanistan has been signed.
The state news agency of Turkmenistan
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Meeting with Co-chairman of Japanese–Turkmen Committee for economic cooperation Yoichi Kobayashi is held in the Foreign Ministry
Meeting with Japanese delegation chaired by Co-chairman of Japanese – Turkmen Committee for economic cooperation Yoichi Kobayashi was held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on January 21.
During the meeting, the sides noted high level of cooperation between Turkmenistan and Japan especially in economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres. Subjects of joint projects for supply of Komatsu agricultural equipment as well as joint investments with the participation of Japanese Bank of International Cooperation have been reviewed. Relative Protocol has been signed by the outcomes of the talks.
It is worth mentioning that representative delegation of Turkmenistan has visited Japan in October 2018, during which the expansion of bilateral cooperation in trade and economic sphere has been discussed.
The state news agency of Turkmenistan
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Council of Europe anti-torture Committee visits Georgia
A delegation of the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) carried out a periodic visit to Georgia from 10 to 21 September 2018.
During the visit, the delegation assessed progress made in the implementation of the recommendations made by the CPT following the previous visit in 2014. In this context, the delegation paid particular attention to the treatment of persons in police custody and the situation of prisoners in penitentiary establishments, in particular those in high-risk and semi-open prisons, as well as juvenile inmates. In addition, the delegation carried out visits to several psychiatric hospitals and, for the first time in Georgia, to an immigration detention facility.
In the course of the visit, the delegation held consultations with Tea Tsulukiani, Minister of Justice, Giorgi Gakharia, Minister of Internal Affairs, David Sergeenko, Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs, and with several other senior officials from the aforementioned Ministries. In addition, the delegation had meetings with Nino Lomjaria, the Public Defender (Ombudsperson) and staff of the National Preventive Mechanism Department of her Office, as well as with representatives of international and non-governmental organisations active in areas of concern to the CPT.
The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:
- Mykola Gnatovskyy, President of the CPT (Head of delegation)
- Marzena Ksel, 1st Vice-President of the CPT
- Gergely Fliegauf
- Alexander Minchev
- Ceyhun Qaracayev
- Vytautas Raskauskas.
They were supported by Borys Wόdz (Head of Division) and Natacha De Roeck of the CPT's Secretariat, and assisted by an expert, Clive Meux, forensic psychiatrist, Oxford, United Kingdom.
The delegation visited the following places:
Establishments under the responsibility of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
- Temporary Detention Isolator (TDI) in Batumi
- TDI in Dusheti
- TDI in Khashuri
- TDI in Kobuleti
- TDI in Mtskheta
- TDI in Rustavi
- TDI in Samtredia
- TDI in Tbilisi
- Old Tbilisi Police Department Division No. 7
- Temporary Accommodation Centre of the Migration Department, Tbilisi
Establishments under the responsibility of the Ministry of Justice
- Pre-trial and High-Risk Penitentiary Establishment No. 3 (Prison No. 3), Batumi
- Pre-trial and High-Risk Penitentiary Establishment No. 6 (Prison No. 6), Rustavi
- Pre-trial and High-Risk Penitentiary Establishment No. 7 (Prison No. 7), Tbilisi
- Pre-trial and Closed-Type Penitentiary Establishment No. 8 (Prison No. 8), Tbilisi (Gldani)
- Pre-Trial and Closed-Type Penitentiary Establishment No. 9 (Prison No. 9), Tbilisi
- Rehabilitation Establishment for Juveniles No. 11 (Juvenile Prison), Tbilisi (Avchala)
- Semi-Open and Closed-Type Penitentiary Establishment No. 15 (Prison No. 15), Ksani
- Medical Establishment for Pre-trial and Sentenced Inmates No. 18 (Prison Hospital), Tbilisi (Gldani)
Establishments under the responsibility of the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labour, Health and Social Affairs
- Batumi Health Care Centre (Khevalchauri Psychiatric Hospital)
- National Centre of Mental Health named after Academician Bidzina Naneishvili (Kutiri Psychiatric Hospital)
- East Georgia Mental Health Centre (Surami Psychiatric Hospital)
