Day: March 25, 2024

On March 24, the XXXII Conference of Judges of Georgia, a self-governing body of Georgian common courts, “unanimously supported” the statement made by the Supreme Court of Georgia on March 11, denouncing the initiative to check the integrity of judges through extraordinary “vetting” mechanism.

In its statement on March 11, the Supreme Court argued that the extraordinary “vetting” mechanism “would undermine the independence of the judiciary and the individual judges” as well as “the public trust towards judicial system”, thus “facilitating political control” over the judiciary.

The Conference also elected Levan Tevzade and Vasil Mshvenieradze as members of the High Council of Justice (HCoJ) of Georgia. Nikoloz Marsagishvili was elected the Secretary of the High Council of Justice.

Levan Tevzade was elected to the Supreme Court of Georgia for life tenure in 2021. In 2015-2018 he was a member of the High Council of Justice. He has been working in the judiciary since 2008. Before he worked in various positions in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia during 2004-2008. He also worked in the Ministry of Justice of Georgia in 2002-2004.

Vasil Mshvenieradze has worked as the Chair of the Civil Cases Panel of the Tbilisi City Court since 2022. Since 2017, he has worked at various leadership positions in the Tbilisi City Court, Tbilisi Court of Appeals and Kutaisi Court of Appeals. In 2017-2021 he was the member of the High Council of Justice. Before he worked as the Chair of the Mtskheta District Court in 2008-2017.

Nikoloz Marsagishvili has been the member of the High Council of Justice since March 2020. The Conference of Judges elected him as the Secretary of the High Council of Justice in November 2020. Since 2019 he has been a judge in the Tbilisi City Court appointed for life tenure. In 2019-2020 he was the Chair of the Tbilisi City Court. He has been working in the judiciary since 2008.

In its 2023 Communication on EU Enlargement Policy, the EU Commission spoke of the need for Georgia to establish a system of extraordinary integrity checks, with the involvement of international experts, for all leading positions in the judiciary, and to establish a system of effective assets declarations. The Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze said he believes introducing such vetting of judges would violate the Constitution of Georgia.

Two Supreme Court judges Nino Bakakuri and Ekaterine Gasitashvili did not agree with the Supreme Court statement, leading to the harsh reactions directed at them from the ruling Georgian Dream, including the Prime Minister.

In a statement issued by the Spokesperson of the European External Action Service (EEAS) on March 22, the European Commission told Georgia that “Georgia needs to establish a system of extraordinary integrity checks” as part of the comprehensive reform of the judiciary and as a part of “fundamentals” – the preconditions for opening the accession negotiations.

Also Read:

• 13/03/2024 – Watchdogs: Government’s Refusal of Vetting in Judiciary Hinders EU Integration

On March 24, the XXXII Conference of Judges of Georgia, a self-governing body of Georgian common courts, “unanimously supported” the statement made by the Supreme Court of Georgia on March 11, denouncing the initiative to check the integrity of judges through extraordinary “vetting” mechanism.

In its statement on March 11, the Supreme Court argued that the extraordinary “vetting” mechanism “would undermine the independence of the judiciary and the individual judges” as well as “the public trust towards judicial system”, thus “facilitating political control” over the judiciary.

The Conference also elected Levan Tevzade and Vasil Mshvenieradze as members of the High Council of Justice (HCoJ) of Georgia. Nikoloz Marsagishvili was elected the Secretary of the High Council of Justice.

Levan Tevzade was elected to the Supreme Court of Georgia for life tenure in 2021. In 2015-2018 he was a member of the High Council of Justice. He has been working in the judiciary since 2008. Before he worked in various positions in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia during 2004-2008. He also worked in the Ministry of Justice of Georgia in 2002-2004.

Vasil Mshvenieradze has worked as the Chair of the Civil Cases Panel of the Tbilisi City Court since 2022. Since 2017, he has worked at various leadership positions in the Tbilisi City Court, Tbilisi Court of Appeals and Kutaisi Court of Appeals. In 2017-2021 he was the member of the High Council of Justice. Before he worked as the Chair of the Mtskheta District Court in 2008-2017.

Nikoloz Marsagishvili has been the member of the High Council of Justice since March 2020. The Conference of Judges elected him as the Secretary of the High Council of Justice in November 2020. Since 2019 he has been a judge in the Tbilisi City Court appointed for life tenure. In 2019-2020 he was the Chair of the Tbilisi City Court. He has been working in the judiciary since 2008.

In its 2023 Communication on EU Enlargement Policy, the EU Commission spoke of the need for Georgia to establish a system of extraordinary integrity checks, with the involvement of international experts, for all leading positions in the judiciary, and to establish a system of effective assets declarations. The Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze said he believes introducing such vetting of judges would violate the Constitution of Georgia.

Two Supreme Court judges Nino Bakakuri and Ekaterine Gasitashvili did not agree with the Supreme Court statement, leading to the harsh reactions directed at them from the ruling Georgian Dream, including the Prime Minister.

In a statement issued by the Spokesperson of the European External Action Service (EEAS) on March 22, the European Commission told Georgia that “Georgia needs to establish a system of extraordinary integrity checks” as part of the comprehensive reform of the judiciary and as a part of “fundamentals” – the preconditions for opening the accession negotiations.

Also Read:

• 13/03/2024 – Watchdogs: Government’s Refusal of Vetting in Judiciary Hinders EU Integration

Today is the 203rd anniversary of Greek Independence.

Thank you to the people of Greece for the long list of your contributions to Western civilization.

pic.twitter.com/AHCYI9psRj

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 25, 2024

Ukrainian schoolchildren running for an air raid shelter as Russian ballistic missile are striking central Kyiv this morning pic.twitter.com/BqQ8t8BOEU

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 25, 2024

BREAKING:

Russia strikes Kyiv with ballistic missiles.

Buildings have collapsed. People are still under the rubble. Many fatalities reported. pic.twitter.com/cyUjedp71S

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 25, 2024

Via History.com

Responding to a 911 call, police raid the Philadelphia home of Gary Heidnik and find an appalling crime scene. In the basement of Heidnik’s dilapidated house is a veritable torture chamber where three naked women were found chained to a sewer pipe. A fourth woman, Josefina Rivera, had escaped and called police.

Gary Heidnik was a former mental patient and sex offender who had managed to become a wealthy stock investor. He owned a Rolls Royce and beat Uncle Sam on his income taxes by making himself the bishop of his own church. The sign on the front of his house read, “United Church of the Ministries of God.” One room in his house was partially wallpapered with money. At the end of 1986, Heidnik decided to create his own harem and began kidnapping women off the streets of Philadelphia.

Six women were kidnapped and held in Heidnik’s dungeon. All were raped and tortured while the others were forced to watch. He killed one of the women by putting her in a pit, filling it with water and putting a live electrical wire into the water. Another of the women was killed when Heidnik let her starve to death while chained to the wall. In perhaps the most grisly and horrid episode of the entire incident, Heidnik dismembered one of his victims, cooking parts of her body and feeding it to his other captives. The women who were found alive recovered after being treated for dehydration and malnutrition.

Although Heidnik was clearly mentally disturbed, he was found guilty and convicted of murder on July 1, 1988. He received a death sentence, and was executed on July 6, 1999.

Heidnik was one of the inspirations for the Buffalo Bill character in Thomas Harris’ Silence of the Lambs.

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