Tbilisi mayor rejects torture allegations against Georgian authorities

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has rejected allegations of torture under the current Georgian government, saying there is no evidence to support claims made against the state.

Kaladze made the remarks in response to questions about recommendations contained in the Moscow Mechanism report on Georgia published by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

“Name even one specific fact connected to torture under our government,” Kaladze said.

“We won the elections on 1 October 2012, came to power, and since that day there has been no evidence or factual confirmation of human torture,” he added.

According to the mayor, the campaign being conducted against the Georgian state is “filled with lies and falsehoods” and based on “non-existent facts”.

Kaladze also drew a distinction between violence and torture, saying the ruling authorities consider violence unacceptable.

“Violence and torture are different things. There is a very big difference between them,” he said.

Kaladze accused some media representatives and political opponents of previously encouraging violence, referring to an incident involving opposition politician Aleko Elisashvili and former ruling party MP Mamuka Mdinaradze.

“I personally and my teammates condemn violence, distance ourselves from it, and consider it categorically unacceptable,” Kaladze said.