GENEVA, Switzerland, March 1 (UPI) -- A U.N. human rights expert says torture by law enforcement officials still exists in Georgia, although he says some positive measures have been taken.
In a statement issued following a weeklong visit, the U.N. Commission on Human Rights' Special Rapporteur Manfred Nowak announced findings of torture and other cruel treatment and punishment by law enforcement officials.
The problem was exacerbated by reliance on pre-trial detention by courts and prosecutors, regardless of the alleged offence, resulting in overcrowding of prisons and "strain on the already deteriorating infrastructure," Nowak said.
However, authorities recognized problems and pointed to positive measures taken by the government, he said, such as the establishment of monitoring mechanisms to visit places of detention and draft proposals to amend the criminal code to include torture.
