A/HRC/27/48
31.
The Working Group wishes to thank those Governments that heeded its appeals and
took steps to provide it with information on the situation of the persons concerned,
especially the Governments that released those persons. In other cases, the Working Group
was assured that the detainees concerned would receive fair trial guarantees.
B.
Country visits
1.
Requests for visits
32.
The Working Group has been invited to visit Argentina (a follow-up visit),
Azerbaijan, Burkina Faso, Germany (a follow-up visit), India, Italy (a follow-up visit),
Japan, Libya, Malta (a follow-up visit), Nauru, Spain and the United States of America.
With respect to Nauru, the Working Group was invited by the Government to visit the
country from 14 to 19 April 2014 and regrets that the Government cancelled the visit on 24
March 2014 owing to unforeseen circumstances. The alternative dates for the visit in 2014
are under discussion and the Working Group looks forward to closely working with the
Government of Nauru in organizing the visit.
33.
The Working Group has also asked to visit Algeria, Bahrain (a follow-up visit),
Egypt, Ethiopia, Fiji, Guinea-Bissau, Nicaragua (a follow-up visit limited to Bluefields),
Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Arab
Republic, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
2.
Follow-up to country visits of the Working Group
34.
In accordance with its methods of work, the Working Group decided
address a follow-up letter to the Governments of countries it had visited,
information on initiatives the authorities might have taken to give
recommendations adopted by the Working Group contained in the reports on
visits (E/CN.4/1999/63, para. 36).
in 1998 to
requesting
effect to
its country
35.
In 2013, the Working Group requested information from Georgia and Germany,
countries it had visited in 2011. It had previously also requested information from Armenia,
Italy, Malaysia and Senegal. It received information from the Governments of Georgia,
Italy and Senegal.
Georgia
36.
The Government of Georgia informed the Working Group of the measures taken in
compliance with the recommendations issued in the Working Group’s report on its official
mission to Georgia in 2011 (A/HRC/13/30/Add.2).
37.
The Government of Georgia referred to the recommendation concerning the right of
the detainee to be immediately informed of all his or her rights at the moment of the arrest.
It reported that defendants must be released immediately if they were not informed upon
arrest of their rights provided for in article 174 of the Criminal Procedure Code and were
not given a copy of an arrest record. Statistical data provided by the Supreme Court of
Justice shows that first instance courts had been using deprivation of liberty extensively up
until 2013. However, that trend seems to be changing and alternative measures have started
to prevail. The percentage of measures taken that order deprivation of liberty has fallen
from 50.2 per cent in 2011, to 44.4 per cent in 2012 and 26.4 per cent during the first nine
months of 2013. The percentage of cases heard in which bail was ordered increased to 37
per cent. The use of bail has now outstripped the use of deprivation of liberty.
38.
The Public Defender of Georgia and representatives of his Office, as well as
representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, have the right to freely
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