Khatuna Kalmakhelidze Explained

Khatuna Kalmakhelidze
ხათუნა კალმახელიძე
Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance
Term Start:December 21, 2009
Term End:September 19, 2012
Predecessor:Dimitri Shashkin[1]
Successor:Giorgi Tughushi
Birth Date:11 February 1979
Birth Place:Tbilisi, Georgia

Khatuna Kalmakhelidze (Georgian: ხათუნა კალმახელიძე; born February 11, 1979) is a Georgian politician who served as the Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance from December 2009 to September 2012.[2]

Early years

Kalmakhelidze was born on February 11, 1979, in Tbilisi, Georgia. She graduated from Hunter College with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science cum laude and minored in Economics. From 2005 until 2007, she studied at Elliott School of International Affairs in George Washington University, obtaining her Master's in International Affairs and International Security. While in the United States, Kalmakhelidze also worked at the Georgian Mission to the United Nations. In 2006, she worked at Political Finance Research Unit of International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES).[3]

Political career

After returning to Georgia, Kalmakhelidze was hired as the Deputy Political Director at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Georgia. On December 21, 2009, she was appointed Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance.[3] [4] After taking office, Kalmakhelidze instituted reforms in the penitentiary system of the country, bringing 80% of the state prisons in line with European standards.[5]

Kalmakhelidze filed resignation on September 19, 2012, amid a public outrage after a video footage of inmates being beaten and sodomized in a Tbilisi prison emerged a day earlier.[6]

Kalmakhelidze speaks English, German, French and Russian.[3] [7]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Ministry of Education and Science. Dimitri Shashkin . 2011-04-11 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110724182533/http://www.mes.gov.ge/content.php?id=8&lang=eng . 2011-07-24 . dead .
  2. Web site: Government of Georgia . 2011-03-29 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110717122413/http://www.government.gov.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG . 2011-07-17 .
  3. Web site: Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance of Georgia . 2011-03-29 .
  4. Web site: Geo Database . 2011-03-29 .
  5. News: Хатуна Калмахелидзе: "Через два-три года в пенитенциарной системе бытовые проблемы будут полностью устранены" . Khatuna Kalmakhelidze: "In two-three years, communal problems within the penitentiary system will be solved" . Medianews . 2010-12-10 . 2011-03-29.
  6. http://civil.ge/eng/article.php?id=25222 Prison System Minister Resigns
  7. Web site: Government of Georgia. Khatuna Kalmakhelidze . 2011-03-29 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110928081941/http://www.government.gov.ge/index.php?lang_id=ENG&sec_id=124&info_id=2171 . 2011-09-28 .