Press Digest 25.04.12

Georgian NGOs ask the newly-elected“Georgian NGOs ask the ICC Prosecutor to investigate the crimes committed during the 2008 war between Georgia and Russia. In particular, they ask to investigate the concrete facts and to raise the question of holding the guilty persons accountable if the ICC receives evidence that the internal investigations in Georgia and Russia are carried out in an inefficient way. The petition was drawn up by the Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association, the Center for Human Rights, the Union “Article 42 of the Constitution”, the Public Defender, the International Center on Conflict and Negotiation, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee and the International Federation for Human Rights. This petition was given to the ICC Prosecutor”- informs the newspaper “Rezonansi”.

“As you know, it’s officially declared that Russia and Georgia launched the investigation process. We ask the ICC to make a report on this investigation and to find out whether there is any kind of advance in the investigation process or not. If the ICC receives evidence that the investigation process is inefficient, then we ask the ICC to start an independent investigation officially.  We, the representatives of the NGOs, believe that the investigations both in Georgia and Russia are carried out in an inefficient way. We demand to find out who committed these specific crimes and who will be responsible”- said Natia Katsitadze, a lawyer from the Georgian Young Lawyer’s Association.