Georgia legalizes wiretapping

The Georgian government has passed a bill in the second reading allowing the police to wiretap citizens. MPs voting against the bill yesterday abstained from today’s session because the authors of the bill – Eka Beseliaa, Gedevan Popkhadze and Irakli Sesiashvili – had ignored their recommendations and adjustments. 74 MPs voted for amendments to the laws on electronic communications, protection of personal data and the Code of Criminal Procedures, 75 voted for amendments to the law on classified information, News Georgia reports.

The documents allow the Interior Ministry to wiretap citizens under monitoring of the inspectorate for protection of personal data. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili hailed the parliament for its decision

Vakhtang Maisaya, a member of the Expert Club of Georgia, reminded that the bills still needed approval of President Giorgi Margvelashvili, who was against them. Maisaya doubts that the 76 votes needed to overcome the president’s veto would be achieved. Moreover, the bill recalls the times of President Mikheil Saakashvili, as mentioned by Speaker of Parliament David Usupashvili.

Maisaya considers the Interior Ministry of Georgia to have a system left by Saakashvili’s “authoritarian” regime. Wiretaps were one of the main arguments against Saakashvili. The Georgian Dream coalition had absolutely different programs when it came to power and wanted to take Saakashvili’s punitive system down, Maisaya added.

The political analyst expressed hope that the parliament will pass Vakhtang Khmaladze’s amendments instead. The later wants the National Commission for Communications to be the only institution with access to personal information of the population. He concluded that there were forces willing to restore the old police system in the country.

The Georgian government has passed the bill allowing the police to wiretap citizens in the second reading. MPs voting against the bill yesterday abstained from today’s session because authors of the bill Eka Beseliaa, Gedevan Popkhadze and Irakli Sesiashvili had ignored their recommendations and adjustments. 74 MPs voted for amendments to the laws on electronic communications, protection of personal data and the Code of Criminal Procedures, 75 voted for amendments to the law on classified information.The documents allow the Interior Ministry to wiretap citizens under monitoring of the inspection for protection of personal data. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili hailed the parliament for its decisionVakhtang Maisaya, a member of the Expert Club of Georgia, reminded that the bills still needed approval of President Giorgi Margvelashvili, who was against them. Maisaya doubts that the needed 76 votes to overcome the president’s veto would be achieved. Moreover the bill reminds the times of President Mikheil Saakashvili, as mentioned by Speaker of Parliament David Usupashvili.Maisaya considers the Interior Ministry of Georgia a system left by Saakashvili’s “authoritarian” regime. Wiretaps were one of the main arguments against Saakashvili. The Georgian Dream coalition had absolutely different programs when it came to power and wanted to take Saakashvili’s punitive system down, Maisaya added.The political analyst expressed hope that the parliament will pass Vakhtang Khmaladze’s amendments instead. The later wants the National Commission for Communications to be the only institution with access to personal information of the population. He concluded that there were forces willing to restore the old police system in the coun