Ten oppositionists set free in Georgia

Zurab Abashidze, one of the leaders of the Party "Our Georgia - Free Democrats" has announced that within a week that elapsed after negotiations of a part of the non-parliamentary opposition with Ministers of Internal Affairs and Justice of Georgia 10 activists of this opposition group were released from custody.

"Cases of imprisoned people are studied, and under particular cases freedom restriction regime is changed," Mr Abashidze has noted.

The meeting of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia with the leaders of non-parliamentary opposition took place in Tbilisi on August 12. An agreement was reached there to set up a direct round-the-clock communication link between the opposition and MIA bosses. Besides, it was decided that the MIA would consider, within a week, and respond on the list of those inmates, whom the opposition regards as political prisoners.

According to Kakha Kukava, Secretary General of the Conservative Party, from the start on April 9 of protest actions of the opposition and till the end of June 30 supporters of the opposition were detained on political grounds. The politician also said that during this period facts of attacks, beatings and kidnappings were registered in relation to 120 oppositionists. In his turn, David Usupashvili, leader of the Republican Party of Georgia, said about 200 detained oppositionists.

"The liberation process of imprisoned activists of opposition parties was launched. This process will go on; we didn't expect that all the prisoners would be released in one day," the "News-Georgia" quotes Mr Abashidze as saying.