Interior Minister: Protection of Human Rights Improved
Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili told reporters on February 13 that human rights protection in the law enforcement agencies has ?significantly improved.?
Law enforcers have been harshly criticized by human right groups regarding an increase in the number of cases of torture and human rights abuse in the detention centers in 2004.
?We have had significant success in this regard [protection of human rights], but now it is very import for us to fight against crime. Hiding crime under the pretext of protection of human rights is absolutely inadmissible,? Vano Merabishvili said.
The Interior Minister opened a seminar, on February 13, for representatives of the law enforcement agencies, regarding the protection of human rights. The seminar was organized by the Raul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, UNDP and the Georgian Ombudsman?s Office.
