Georgian Parliament overrides President's veto on ruling party’s bill extending scope, time limits for covert investigations
The amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code were proposed in April, extending the maximum term of covert investigative action from six to nine months in relation to 77 types of offences, including trafficking of minors, illegal treatment of nuclear or radioactive waste, involvement of minors in pornography production or distribution, illegal distribution of psychotropic medications and more. Photo: Parliament of Georgia.
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The Georgian Parliament on Tuesday overcame Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili’s veto, with 79 votes, on the ruling Georgian Dream party’s domestic surveillance bill, that extends the scope and time limits on covert investigative actions, surveillance and wiretapping by state authorities.
Anri Okhanashvili, the Head of Georgian Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee said the President and her representative had “failed” to submit motivated remarks on the draft law and noted there had been “a number of meetings” held on the issue, which had been attended by civil sector and the representatives of the oppositional parties.
Giorgi Mskhiladze, the President’s Parliamentary Secretary also made comments in this regard and said the adopted draft law would “significantly worsen” the standard of human rights protection and “threaten” the country’s European future.
The amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code were proposed in April, extending the maximum term of covert investigative action from six to nine months in relation to 77 types of offences, including trafficking of minors, illegal treatment of nuclear or radioactive waste, involvement of minors in pornography production or distribution, illegal distribution of psychotropic medications and more.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said the domestic surveillance bill was “absolutely compatible” with European standards of human rights protection.
The ruling Georgian Dream party has plans to look into the assessments of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission on the party’s domestic surveillance bill before it overrides the “unreasonable” veto placed on it by the country’s President, GD MP Irakli Kadagishvili said on Monday.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Wednesday vetoed a ruling party bill that extends scope and time limits on covert investigative actions, surveillance and wiretapping by state authorities, citing human rights concerns in her decision.
Electronic surveillance of those charged with domestic violence will be used in Georgia to reduce the risk of recurring crimes, the Prosecution Service of Georgia announced on Tuesday.
Anri Okhanashvili, the Head of Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee on Wednesday told reporters it was “disturbing” if the United States Embassy in Georgia believed that the domestic surveillance and wiretapping bill would increase the Georgian Government's ability to monitor its citizens.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili on Thursday vetoed the amendments to the country’s organic law on the National Bank, adopted by the Parliament on an expedited basis. As she explained the changes were “neither necessary, urgent nor reasoned”.