In the U.S. Helsinki Committee hearing regarding Georgian parliamentary elections was held – “Radio Liberty” reports.  

“How free and fair is the pre-election campaign and how the U.S. government should react”, - the speakers of this issue were the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Thomas Melia, Researcher-fellow of Russian, Eurasian and international energy-policy research center “Heritage Foundation”, Ariel Cohen. Head of the Black and Caspian Seas research center of the American University, Mamuka Tsereteli and the fellow of the Georgian Strategic and International Research Center, Archil Gegeshidze were participating in the meeting too.   

According to Ariel Cohen, the current elections in Georgia “determines not only who rules the country and how, but it will be decisive for relationships of Georgia and the United States”. 

Thomas Melia touched the video footage showing torture of Georgian inmates spread by the Georgian TV channels and said that “the president Saakashvili acted quickly, I think – correctly, when he changed the Ministry of penitentiary system. The new Minister is the Public Defender, who has a good reputation in this field, he is one of those who was focusing his attention on the situation in the prisons”, - the Assistance Secretary of State said.   

internet.ge