ECHR to Discuss Second Case Against Georgia
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) set November 16 as a date of holding hearing on the merits regarding the case of Tengiz Asanidze, who is currently in custody in Batumi, Adjara Autonomous Republic.
Asanidze appealed the ECHR claiming that his detention is unlawful and that he has no effective remedy available from the national courts to secure his release.
The applicant was the mayor of the town of Batumi. He was arrested on 4 October 1993 and charged with illegal financial dealings in the Batumi Tobacco Manufacturing Company. In 1994 he was sentenced to eight years? imprisonment and orders were made for the confiscation of his assets. Asanidze was given a pardon by President Shevardnadze in 1999, but was not released by the local authorities of Adjara.
In 1999 the applicant, who remained in custody despite the presidential pardon, was charged in a new case and sentenced to twelve-years? imprisonment by the Highest Court of the Adjarian Autonomous Republic. Although his conviction was quashed by the Georgian Supreme Court, however he remains in the custody of the Adjarian authorities.
His health is deteriorating, and he has now been held at Batumi, in a cell for remand prisoners at the local security ministry, for nearly three years.
This is the second case against Georgia in the ECHR. On September 16 ECHR found admissible application of 13 persons, who were arrested by the Georgian border guards last August, protesting against extradition to the Russian Federation.
