Tbilisi. As Georgia gets ready to adopt its National Human Rights Strategy for 2023-2030, the European Union (EU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) create a space for discussion on ongoing reforms on administrative offences regulatory framework and the effective realisation of economic, social and cultural rights, bringing together decision-makers, civil society, and human rights defenders. The conference “Stand up for Dignity, Freedom and Justice for All” echoes Human Rights Day theme and calls on the Government, Parliament, civil society organizations and communities to work together and seek solutions to the challenges that prevent Georgia’s citizens, especially representatives of the vulnerable communities and minority groups, from fully enjoying their Constitutionally guaranteed rights. Read more… Source: www.eeas.europa.eu

Tbilisi. The signatory organizations respond to the fact that the health condition of the third president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, has extremely worsened. Despite the conclusion of the medical examination, the conclusion of the Public Defender’s Special Medical Council, and the call from the European parliamentarians, the authorities do not recognize the need to take immediate steps to protect the prisoner’s life and health. According to the Public Defender, Mikheil Saakashvili’s health condition already provides the basis for postponing the sentence. “The statements of the ruling party’s high-ranking officials are extremely outrageous and cynical, treating the possibility of the prisoner’s death with complete indifference. We believe that such an attitude towards the life and health of any prisoner is categorically inconsistent with Georgian and international law, as well as with the political goal of EU membership. Further worsening of Mikheil Saakashvili’s health condition and the lethal outcome will not only be the worst violation of human rights, but also a political collapse that will cause irreparable damage to Georgia’s reputation. The signatory organizations call on the government to fully understand the state’s obligations in the field of basic human rights, to stop being indifferent to Mikheil Saakashvili’s serious health condition, and to take responsibility for saving his life and health. At the same time, we hope that the scheduled court hearings related to the postponement of the sentence will be held as soon as possible, and the court will be guided only by the interest of protecting the life and health of the detained individual”, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: www.gyla.ge

Tbilisi. A minor will no longer need the consent of an abusive father to get an education upon the request of “Rights Georgia”, the court issued an interim order. On November 25, 2022, the Samtredia District Court fully satisfied the request of "Rights Georgia" and the minor will no longer need the permission of the abusive father to study at school depending on her and her mother's geographical location.  "Rights Georgia" litigates this case before the court with the support of the USAID Rule of Law Program.  “Words cannot describe the emotion and happiness that I had during the hearing when the judge announced the decision. It's a great joy that I don't have to ask permission from an abusive father on matters related to the child's education. I am happy that from today I can provide education to my child independently,” -  the mother of the minor tells us. Read more... Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Civil Society Organizations respond to the significant deterioration of the health of the third president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, and call on the government that the issue of his further treatment should be decided not by political expediency, but only based on the standards of protection of human life and health. Read more… Source: osgf.ge Photo: OC Media 

Tbilisi. November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, which aims to raise public awareness, recognize current challenges and outline future strategies to combat violence. In addition, this day marks the beginning of the 16-day global activism against gender-based violence. Regardless of legislative and institutional changes, violence against women and domestic violence remain important challenges in Georgia. There are still many problems in terms of prevention, timely detection and effective response to the cases. Accordingly, the Public Defender of Georgia calls on the Parliament of Georgia, as well as the central and local authorities, to prioritize the implementation of the following measures: Improve sexual abuse legislation and ensure that, in accordance with international standards, the definition of sexual abuse is based on the absence of free, genuine and voluntary consent of the victim; Integrate gender equality issues into all types of education and plan awareness raising campaigns in order to raise public awareness of gender equality and domestic violence; Approve the document of national referral procedures for the identification, protection, assistance and rehabilitation of victims of violence against women and/or domestic violence; Plan appropriate projects and programmes to promote women's economic empowerment. Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Department of Human Rights of Ilia State University joins the 16-Day Global Campaign against Gender-Based Violence in cooperation with the USAID Rule of Law Program. The campaign, which will last from November 25 to December 10, includes various activities aimed at raising public awareness of violence against women and girls. The Department of Human Rights of the School of Law of Ilia State University will hold several events within the framework of the campaign. more... Source: The organization's page on the social network

Guria. Young Pedagogues Union, within the framework of the project “Improved child protection system in Guria and Kakheti” held a training on the topic “Teaching children and adults about child protection issues and ways to respond to them”. These sessions served to prevent violence against children - raising awareness, recognizing violence against children and teaching ways to respond to it. The project is implemented with the financial support of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development and the Hermann Gmeiner German Foundation. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Representatives of the Media Companies and Civil Society Organizations appeal to Mr. Charles Michel, President of the European Council. “On November 2, 2022, the Court of Appeals of Georgia upheld the conviction of Nika Gvaramia, founder and General Director of an independent TV channel Mtavari. It is our strong belief that this is a politically motivated case and charges against him are groundless, as it has been stipulated in the independent opinion presented to the Court by the Public Defender of Georgia and non-governmental organizations. Against the backdrop of grave challenges in judiciary and the Georgian Dream’s aggressive policy against critical media, we do not expect Nika Gvaramia's rights to be defended in the Supreme Court of Georgia. We see Presidential pardon as the only remedy to end his unjust imprisonment. Several political and public groups have already addressed the President of Georgia with the request to pardon Nika Gvaramia. President Michel, you are a staunch supporter of Georgia's democratic development, and we sincerely hope that your call on President Salome Zourabichvili could encourage her to take this step, pardon the General Director of a critical broadcaster and a political prisoner. This would be not only a humane act, but also a significant action for the benefit of our country. President Michel, we are confident that your engagement will be a major contribution to the freedom of the media in Georgia; moreover, it will empower Georgian people in their unequivocal aspirations towards Europe”, is noted in the joint statement. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. On November 2, 2022, the Tbilisi Court of Appeal delivered the verdict in the case of Nika Gvaramia, the former director of the "Rustavi 2" TV company, currently the founder and general director of Mtavari Aharki, upholding Gvaramia’s imprisonment. “The verdict delivered today by the Court of Appeals contradicts European Commission’s requirements for the candidacy status for Georgia, in particular, requirements for pluralistic media environment and an independent and impartial judiciary [4] The case of Nika Gvaramia was included in the resolution adopted by the European Parliament on the freedom of the media and safety of journalists in Georgia.[5] This decision of the court further distanced Georgia from the EU candidacy status and made the European future of our country even more vague. Given the current critical situation, we once again call on the President of Georgia to pardon Nika Gvaramia and play a positive role in the process of Georgia’s integration into the European Union”, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. In 2012-2021 the lawyers of Transparency International Georgia won 762 court cases in favor of citizens. "Our lawyers have been supporting people illegally oppressed by the state with free legal assistance for years struggling to defend their rights". Read more... Source: The organization's page on the social network

Tbilisi. Another citizen, Guga Gogadze, dismissed due to staff cleansing conducted by Tea Tsulukiani, won a labour dispute in the Tbilisi Court of Appeal on October 26, 2022. Social Justice Center protects his interests before the court. Social Justice Center and partner organizations continue to provide legal support to illegally dismissed employees of the National Agency for the Protection of Cultural Heritage and the Museum. Read more… Source: socialjustice.org.ge

Tbilisi. On October 13, 2022, the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) held a roundtable discussion on how to improve legal safeguards and mechanisms for protecting personal data in cyberspace with the participation of personal data and cyber security experts, lawyers, public, private and civil society representatives. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Kakheti. The representatives of the Social Justice Center held a legal aid meeting for the residents of Pankisi Gorge and provided the interested persons with legal advice on issues important to them. The meeting was held with the support of USAID Rule of Law program. According to the local population taking part in the meeting, it is vitally important to have clarity on legal issues and receive qualified assistance, therefore, they welcome such types of meetings. The Social Justice Center continues holding legal aid meetings in different regions of Georgia, including ethnically and religiously diverse cities and villages. Read more... Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. In the village of Adzvi, located in the Gori municipality, the police did not allow Human Rights Center to see the water conduit which according to the locals had been polluted. The NGO sector and media often speak about the unjustified restrictions existing on movements near the boundary line. HRC sent an official letter to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Security Service. HRC requested a response from the agencies as to why the movement to the villages near the boundary line is restricted and whether there is a relevant normative act regulating the issue. Read more… Source: www.humanrights.ge

Tbilisi. The team of the Social Justice Center celebrated the winning of the 2022 global Max van der Stoel award established by the OSCE’s High Commissioner on National Minorities to honor the contribution to supporting and empowering national minorities. The Max van der Stoel Award, one of the most prestigious titles in the field of Human Rights was established in 2001 for organizations and individuals with an outstanding record of commitment and achievements in supporting ethnic/national minorities in their countries. Read more… Source: socialjustice.org.ge

Tbilisi. According to the decision of Human Rights Center, from July 18, 2022, all offices of HRC shall be open from 10:00 to 14:00. “The decision was prompted by the desire to increase the motivation of the officers so that after a stressful work week they can have a proper time for rest, while the engagement in the work from the new business week would be much more productive. HRC takes due care of improving the working conditions of the employees. For many years, HRC includes a one-hour lunch break in the 8-hour working time”. Read more… Source: www.hrc.ge

Tbilisi. On July 15, 2022, the Ambassador of the United States of America to Georgia, Kelly Degnan, met with the Public Defender of Georgia. Nino Lomjaria briefed Ms. ambassador on her vision on the role of the Public Defender's institution in the process of implementing democratic reforms, which represents the main prerequisite for European integration, and spoke about the challenges existing in this direction; She also emphasized the importance of the efforts of the United States of America for the development of democratic processes in Georgia. Read more…  Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. On July 13, 2022, an audio recording was released by the media, which described the planning process of the Main Channel programme - Post Factum and contained information about journalists' confidential source. This is not the first case when we learnt about the alleged illegal surveillance of the representatives of the media. The Public Defender is concerned about the reports of alleged unauthorized wiretapping of representatives of critical media outlets, which has a negative impact on the quality of media freedom that has already been deteriorated in the recent period. In this regard, the dangerous and hostile environment created for media representatives, as well as the unjustified control of the content of programmes, is particularly noteworthy. The Public Defender will actively monitor the investigation of the alleged surveillance of the employees of the Main Channel by the Special Investigation Service and calls on the Investigation Service to periodically and proactively inform the public about the progress of the investigation. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Public Defender of Georgia established sexual harassment against a woman employed in CD Company and addressed the director of the company with a recommendation on July 5, 2022, urging him not to harass employees sexually in the future and not to create insulting, humiliating and/or degrading environment for them. Sapari NNLE represented the interests of the applicant in the Public Defender’s Office. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Regions. In June 2022, employees of the Gender Department and the Department on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities of the Public Defender’s Office - Gvantsa Kharatishvili, Mariam Gvidiani, Ana Lobzhanidze and Nino Valikova held information meetings with women living in the municipalities of Kvemo Kartli, Adjara and Imereti, including women with disabilities and persons employed in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. The purpose of the meetings was to raise the awareness of women living in the regions about violence against women and domestic violence, as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. At the request of locals, an interdepartmental commission established by the Decree of the Government of Georgia is examining events that transpired in Itkhvisi in March 2022, three months after geodynamic processes damaged residents’ homes in the area. The absence of an independent expert and a local representative in the commission's composition creates mistrust among Itkhvisi’s residents. Doubts are exacerbated by the fact that people are unaware of the commission's methodological approach. Furthermore, before the completion of the commission's work, officials of the local government offered insufficient and legally ambiguous compensation to affected families. The local population requests more information about the commission's work and asks the involved state authorities to ensure the commission's operations are transparent by making its protocols, plans, and deadlines public. Read more… Source: socialjustice.org.ge

Tbilisi. According to the GDI, exactly one year since the July 5, 2021 violence, the ECHR has started communicating the application submitted by the GDI: “Tbilisi Pride” and others v. Georgia”. The Court considers that the application may become an impact case. “The case concerns the events of July 5, 2021 - homophobic violence, attack and threats against the LGBTQI+ community and activists. Arguing that the Georgian authorities did not act and their response was ineffective, the applicants have requested the European Court find the violation of Article 3 (No one shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment), Article 11 (freedom of assembly), Article 13 (Right to an effective remedy) and Article 14 (enjoyment of the rights and freedoms without discrimination) of the European Convention of Human Rights. The Court has communicated the application regarding each article to the parties. This means that the Georgian authorities must submit their response before October 13, 2022 to all questions asked by the Court. Among those, the Court asks: Did the authorities’ statements made in respect of the pride march exacerbate the violence which erupted on 5 July 2021? Did the state meet its obligation to prevent and effectively investigate violence? The Court has accepted the GDI’s motion and has invited the Government to provide copies of the relevant internal documents concerning the planning of the security arrangements undertaken by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in advance of the impugned events. Significantly, the trials at the Tbilisi City Court ended a year after the July 5 events. However, no organizer of the violence has been punished, and those who were found guilty received minimal penalties. GDI is the legal representative of Tbilisi Pride and LGBTQI+ activists at the European Court”, is noted in the statement. Read more… Source: gdi.ge