Tbilisi. According to the information of the IDFI, on November 25, 2021, the Supreme Court of Russia will consider the claim for liquidation of the Society Memorial, filed by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation.  “Founded in 1989, the Society Memorial is still actively researching totalitarianism and aims to raise public awareness not only in Russia but also around the world. The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) and Society Memorial have been working together for years - especially on the issue of mass graves of victims of the Political repressions in the Soviet Union, about which Memorial has a great deal of experience. The attack on the Society Memorial is a clear act of revenge against a leading human rights organization aimed at suppressing a powerful voice that, for more than 30 years, has exposed the Soviet criminal system through documentary sources and high-quality research”, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. The Public Defender has created a group of multi-profile experts aiming to monitor medical services of Mikheil Saakashvili. “On November 16, 2021, the Public Defender convened a group of multi-profile medical experts in order to monitor adequacy and timeliness of medical services provided to accused/convicted Mikheil Saakashvili, the third President of Georgia, by the Ministry of Justice/Special Penitentiary Service. The goal of the group is also to assess how feasible the medical facility N18 is to ensure protection of the right of Mikheil Saakashvili to health care at present and whether it will be possible to deliver adequate medical services at this facility after termination of a lengthy hunger strike by the prisoner, as it is demanded by the European Court of Human Rights in its November 10 ruling”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. On November 15, 2021, Members of the European Parliament (2019-2024), Marina Kaljurand, Chair of the Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus, and Sven Mikser, European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Georgia, issued a joint statement on the importance of the role of the Public Defender of Georgia. “We strongly support the work of the Public Defender's Office, which plays a crucial role in Georgian society. Ms Nino Lomjaria and her Office deserve praise for their work, and attacks on their independence are of always of concern wherever they come from”, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Public Defender is responding to the various opinions expressed around the multifunctional council created by the Ministry of Justice and believes that the Ministry of Justice/Special Penitentiary Service should ensure the full protection of Mikheil Saakashvili's health and make the work of the multifunctional council more systematic and effective. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. On November 15, 2021, the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) conducted training on effective oversight, data extraction methods and the data visualization for participants of the Certification Program in Fighting Corruption. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. Public Defender of Georgia releases a statement on insulting Campaign against employee of Penitentiary Institution. “The Public Defender considers that such a massive and gross interference in an area protected by the official's right to privacy before the end of the investigation is unacceptable, especially given that the information spread in the media space has not been verified. At the same time, the Public Defender reiterates the need to protect the psycho-emotional state of the juvenile living in the family of the addressee of the campaign and, considering his/her best interests, calls on the public to refrain from spreading abusive inscriptions and posters against the employee of the Penitentiary Service in public space, which may incite, inter alia, child abuse, bullying and other actions”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Civil society organizations operating in Georgia address the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture requesting to apply the authority stipulated by its mandate so as to pay an ad hoc visit to the penitentiary system of Georgia and conduct monitoring of the situation related to fundamental rights of President Saakashvili. “We are deeply concerned about the fact that such treatment of prisoner Saakashvili, while the full attention of society is focused on his health and rights related situation, raises serious questions also in regard to treatment of other prisoners and their rights related situation. We consider that evaluation of the current situation in the penitentiary system of Georgia, including treatment of the imprisoned third President of Georgia, by an international authoritative monitoring body is important in terms of improvement of protection of human rights in Georgia”. Read more… Source: tdi.ge

Tbilisi. IDFI reacts on video footage of violent admission of Mikheil Saakashvili into the 18th penitentiary facility. “Dissemination of abovementioned recordings does not serve the purpose identified by the State. Moreover, it leaves the impression that the real purpose of public availability of video recordings was to demonstrate the use of force against the prisoner and violate the dignity of the third President of Georgia with such means. The government shall respect national and international legislation, rule of law and statehood of Georgia and halt any action that undermines the dignity of the third President of Georgia”. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. On November 11, 2021, the Ministry of Justice/Special Penitentiary Service violated the prisoner’s right to honor, dignity and privacy by releasing the footage showing the placement of Mikheil Saakashvili in Medical Establishment No. 18 against his will. The Public Defender demands that the Minister of Justice and the Special Penitentiary Service respect the rights of prisoners and stop violating Mikheil Saakashvili's personal data, honor and dignity. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. According to information released by an organization “Sapari”, the UN Women Committee has published a decision on the case of Khanum Jeiranova. Jeiranova had been accused of extramarital affairs. On September 16, 2014, she was attacked by three relatives of her husband, who dragged her across the village and beat her severely. The woman was also forced by family members to commit suicide with rat poison. The mother of Jeiranova found her dead in a shed the next day: the body was hanging on a rope. Mullahs, who served the body of the woman, noted that her clothes were saturated with blood, while according to the testimony of a witness, she had been “beaten to death”. “The UN Women’s Rights Committee concluded that Georgia failed to ensure investigation and prosecution related to gender based violence as well as to violence in the name of dignity committed against a women, who was brutally beaten by family members in front of her young children, which fact resulted in her death. In the viewpoints about the violation published today, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) expressed its concerns over the fact that the authorities of Georgia failed to ensure detention of family members of Khanum Jeiranova, the victim, and bringing them to justice for beating her to unconsciousness, as well as in regard to the decision of returning her back to relatives, after which fact she was found dead”. The committee instructed the state to launch an independent investigation and punish perpetrators. Read more… Source: sapari.ge

Tbilisi. Signatory organizations respond to facts of detention of participants of rallies held in Tbilisi on November 10 this year and consider that the practice of mass arrests applied by law enforcement agencies violates the right to peaceful assembly and expression. Besides, it is also problematic to hold detained people in police vehicles for a long period of time, delay their transfer to detention centers, and restrict detainees to have an access to a lawyer in this process. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. On November 10, the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) and the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA), with the support of the European Union, presented a study on “Best European practice of public administration and Georgia”. “The study covers policy planning and coordination, accountability, public service delivery and public finance management related directions. The purpose of the study was to examine models of successful European countries in these fields and develop recommendations based on the analysis of their public administration systems in order to facilitate effective implementation of Public Administration Reform in Georgia. Read more... Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. Social Justice Center presents an article that aims to overview the process of formalization of the informal economy and restrictions related to it, as well as approaches of the informal economy and challenges faced by developing countries having high indicators of the informal economy. Read more… Source: socialjustice.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Public Defender of Georgia is responding to the statement made by Gigi Ugulava during a rally on November 9, 2021, which poses a threat to the child's psycho-emotional state and violates the best interest of the child- to be protected from any form of violence. The Public Defender emphasizes that it is inadmissible to use children, their personal lives and family status as tools of political debate. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Tolerance and Diversity Institute releases a statement on the persecution of the third president. “Against this backdrop, the incarceration of the third President Mikheil Saakashvili adds to already heightened tensions, making the situation even more explosive. It is obvious to us that Mikheil Saakashvili has been subjected to politically motivated persecution, retaliation, degrading, and inhumane treatment. It stems from the open statements and decisions made by leaders of the ruling party. The Ombudsperson of Georgia also speaks about it in a critical context. Deliberate aggravation of the situation by the government and its refusal to transfer Saakashvili to a city hospital, the initiative of the Justice Ministry to conduct a trial of the third president of Georgia in the jail, appalling psychological pressure and alleged violence committed against Saakashvili, all this builds formidable barriers to any attempt to achieve a quiet political environment, destroys any opportunity to establish a dialogue between the government and the opposition and nudges the society towards civil confrontation. Such conditions pose a danger to the freedom, life, and health of every citizen in the country. It is absolutely necessary today to protect the life and health of Mikheil Saakashvili, to stop politically motivated persecution against him, and to save the country from ultimately slipping into authoritarianism and burying democracy once and for all”. Read more… Source: tdi.ge

Tbilisi. Part of civil society organizations in Georgia calls on the authorities to relocate the third President to an alternative medical facility. “We consider that full responsibility for current developments lies with the Government. Decisions taken by them in regard to the treatment of Mikheil Saakashvili are neither aimed at defusing the severe political crisis in the country nor conditioned by the health interests of the prisoner. Taking into account the current political situation, the country may be plunged into civil unrest as a result of unjustified steps taken by the Government. We call on the Government to take particular steps that are necessary to de-escalate the situation. Meanwhile, immediately relocate the third president of Georgia to an alternative medical facility, where his dignity, life, health, and safety will be ensured”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. Social Justice Center and the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association respond to developments occurred during the relocation of Mikheil Saakashvili, the third President of Georgia, to the Gldani medical facility N18. The organizations consider that the process contradicts principles of protection of fundamental human rights to life, health and personal safety, as well as creates additional threats of both escalation of tensions and political polarization in the current political crisis. Read more… Source: socialjustice.org.ge

Tbilisi. On November 8, 2021, Public Defender Nino Lomjaria visited third President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, who was transferred to Medical Establishment No. 18 of the Penitentiary Service. “At the meeting, Mikheil Saakashvili told the Public Defender that he had no information about his transfer to Establishment No. 18, as he was informed at Establishment No. 12 that he would be transferred to a multifunctional civil clinic on the basis of the decision of the medical council, which he agreed to. Speaking to the Public Defender, Mikheil Saakashvili explained that despite his refusal, he was forcibly placed in Establishment No. 18. The Public Defender's Office immediately informed the State Inspector's Office about the above for the purpose of launching an investigation. Particular attention should be paid to the environment in which Mikheil Saakashvili is placed, which grossly violates human rights. In particular, insulting and threatening shouts by prisoners of Establishment No. 18 are heard against Mikheil Saakashvili, which can be heard in Saakashvili's cell as well and clearly represents psychological pressure”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information responds to the content of statements released by the State Security Service on November 3 and 6, 2021. “These statements undermine freedom of expression and give the impression that the State Security Service aims to intimidate citizens and, thus, reduce the number of participants in rallies of the opposition”. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. On October 19, 2021, the first meeting of the Advisory Committee on Disability Issues was held at the Tbilisi Marriott Hotel. “The Advisory Committee is an entity established with the support of MAC Georgia, within the project of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) "Transforming Social Protection for Persons with Disabilities in Georgia" and will be an independent consulting channel for the project on disability-related issues. The Advisory Committee is a representative body of the community of persons with disabilities, their family members, caregivers, and their representative organizations”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Georgian Democracy Initiative (GDI) responds to recent detentions of activists by law enforcers. The organization considers that the tendency of violation of rights of activists and their punishment on political grounds in the country is intensifying. “We call on the court to refrain from using the Code of Administrative Offenses as a repressive tool in legal proceedings of detained activists and assess their actions in the light of freedom of expression and the current political context. Besides, we urge the Ministry of Internal Affairs to avoid abusing the same code so as to suppress criticism, which fact is a clear example of politicization of law enforcement agencies and weakens public confidence in them”. Read more… Source: gdi.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) considers appointment of two new members to the High Council of Justice by the Conference of Judges ahead of time as another manipulation of clan governance. “Observation on the process of election of judge members to the Council shows that, as a rule, only representatives of an influential group of judges, or people trusted by them, have an opportunity to work at this institution. The influential group appoints acceptable, loyal judges to strategic, important positions, which fact contributes to further enhancement of the already entrenched informal hierarchy”, - is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: gyla.ge