DIPLOMAT'S IMMUNITY LIFTED.Byline: Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. In a rare move, the Republic of Georgia lifted immunity for the second ranking diplomat in its Washington embassy, clearing the way for his arrest in a fatal car crash, the State Department said Saturday. George Makharadze could be charged with crimes as serious as involuntary manslaughter The act of unlawfully killing another human being unintentionally. Most unintentional killings are not murder but involuntary manslaughter. The absence of the element of intent is the key distinguishing factor between voluntary and involuntary manslaughter. in the death of 16-year-old Joviane Waltrick, officials said. ``This is an unusual case,'' State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns Nicholas Burns may refer to:
Established in large part by the Vienna conventions, diplomatic immunity is granted to individuals depending on their rank and the in a case like this, where the charges are so serious. ``We're very gratified grat·i·fy tr.v. grat·i·fied, grat·i·fy·ing, grat·i·fies 1. To please or satisfy: His achievement gratified his father. See Synonyms at please. 2. . . . . We think this is the best step forward, and we're very, very appreciative to the government of Georgia,'' Burns said. At the crash site Saturday, Viviane Wagner, the girl's mother said, ``Immunity is not impunity. . . . Was it necessary for my daughter to have left for people to understand?'' Wagner, a Brazilian immigrant, has campaigned since the accident to force a decision in the immunity case. |
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