Tbilisi. Public Defender Files Amicus Curiae Brief with Tbilisi City Court about Mustafa Emre Çabuk’s case. On February 6, 2018, Tbilisi City Court will consider the motion of the Prosecutor’s Office concerning the extradition of Turkish citizen Mustafa Emre Çabuk to the Republic of Turkey. On February 5, 2018, the Public Defender of Georgia filed an amicus curiae brief with Tbilisi City Court in the case of Mustafa Emre Çabuk. The Public Defender noted that extradition of Mustafa Emre Çabuk to the Republic of Turkey contradicts the norms of international law and national legislation. In full  Source: The organization’s webpage

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association has submitted its opinions of a Friend of the Court regarding the extradition case of Mustafa Emre Chabuk to the Tbilisi City Court. In its opinions of a friend of the court GYLA reviews standards and principles, to which the court has to adhere while settling the court case. Read more... Source:The website of the organization

Tbilisi. On February 1, 2018, the Public Defender of Georgia filed amicus curiae brief regarding alleged discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation with Tbilisi City Court. The applicant, whose interests are presented in the court by the Women's Initiatives Supportive Group (WISG), indicated that the applicant was not allowed to enter karaoke bars due to the sexual orientation. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. On February 1, 2018, the Public Defender of Georgia, Nino Lomjaria, met with the lawyer of Mustafa Emre Çabuk, former manager of Tbilisi Demirel College, his wife and professors of the Black Sea University. The Public Defender unequivocally opposes Mustafa Emre Çabuk’s extradition and presumes that he may be subjected to inhuman treatment and torture in Turkey. In addition, there is no guarantee that his case will be considered according to the principles of a fair trial, which was confirmed by the monitoring reports of a number of international human rights organizations. Read more… Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) informs that the Center for Crime Prevention does not fulfill court decision. Till now, the Center has neither reinstated both Tamaz Akhobadze and Ana Subeliani in their former positions, nor it compensated them forced loss. GYLA considers that yet the failure of the Center to enforce the legal decision of court is completely unjustified and unlawful. Read more… Source:gyla.ge

Tbilisi. ''Coalition for Equality'' releases a statement regarding violence committed against Miranda Pagava and calls on law enforcement agencies to respond operatively and effectively. Read more… Source:gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Civil society organizations are demanding a meeting with the Chief Prosecutor regarding the case of Afgan Mukhtarli. This information has been disseminated through a statement signed by 13 organizations. ''We, signatory organizations appeal to the Government of Georgia to publicize details of investigation of alleged kidnapping of Afgan Mukhtarli, an Azerbaijani journalist, on May 29, 2017 in Georgia; While urge the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia to ensure an independent and effective investigation of the Afgan Mukhtarli case'' – is noted in the statement. Read more… Source:emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) requests to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of legal responsibilities of employees of the State Security Service in regard to the case of Machalikashvili. Despite the demand, members of the family of Temirlan Machalikashvili have not still obtained the status of successor of rights of victim. Read more... Source:emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) provides additional clarification regarding Beka Tsikarishvili case. EMC reiterates that applying strict methods of legal response to the action of Beka Tsikarishvili is a demonstratively repressive step. Read more… Source:emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. On January 23, the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA) submitted a complaint to the European Court. The complaint concerns non-execution of judgments of the European Court on 4 cases that are in proceedings of GYLA. ''GYLA substantiates in the complaint that the state has not conducted a comprehensive and effective investigation of violations committed by representatives of law enforcement agencies against plaintiffs and, respectively, demands reinstating and essential reconsideration of the cases'' – is stated on the website of the organization. Read more... Source:gyla.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) believes that retaining the legislation on administrative offenses in the current form causes the violation of the fundamental rights of numerous individuals on a daily basis. ''The Code of Administrative Offences that is in force in Georgia is a leftover from the Soviet period and fails to meet the requirements of due process. The current Code of Administrative Offences provides for heavy penalties – for example, administrative imprisonment – for committing certain offenses, although it establishes fewer procedural safeguards than those enjoyed by individuals accused of committing criminal offenses'', is noted in the statement. In full… Source: The webpage of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. On January 15, 2018, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia (MIA) published a statement on its official website acknowledging that information on the arrest of Giorgi Kldiashvili disseminated by the Ministry on December 17, 2014 was misleading and included inaccurate description of factual circumstance. IDFI welcomes the acknowledgement by MIA of disseminating information defamatory to Giorgi Kldiashvili and publishing of a relevant statement on its official website on its own initiative before the conclusion of the court hearings. This indicates that the reforms initiated by the new authorities of the Ministry are positive and highlights the readiness and willingness of MIA to cooperate with the civil sector. In full… Source: The webpage of the organization is a social network

Tbilisi. On January 15, the High Council of Justice of Georgia made a decision, by which the salaries of some of the regional (city) and appellate courts' staff members was decreased. The salaries of bailiffs, assistants to judges and secretaries of court sessions at the Tbilisi City Court was reduced as well. At the same time, the income of some of the court managers and heads of bureaus was increased. Also, monthly bonuses of HCoJ’s judge members was increased from 700 GEL to 1200 GEL. It should be noted that the judge members of HCoJ already hear less cases because of their additional functions as the Council members❗ It is well known that assistants to judges and secretaries of court sessions play very significant role in the work of the courts and also in implementing fast and effective justice. However, their salaries compared to their everyday tasks had already been inadequately low We consider that, in these conditions, decreasing the salaries of courts’ staff members, especially while salaries of the Council members and heads of bureaus are growing, is unfair and can be considered as ineffective spending of budgetary funds, which will have a negative effect on the staff’s working motivation and the problem of overloaded court. In full… Source: The organization’s webpage in a social network

Tbilisi. The Public Defender of Georgia filed amicus curiae brief with Tbilisi Court of Appeals in connection with the Zviad Ratiani case. In the amicus curiae brief, the Public Defender speaks about the importance of neutral evidence in the context of the right to a fair trial and the relevant uniform practice established by the European Court of Human Rights. In full Source: The organization’s webpage

Tbilisi. As Human Rights House notifies Afgan Makhtarli was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment. "The final decision has been made for Afgan Makhtarli's case in the Belakani District Court. According to the above decision, Afgan was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment for the following charges: illegal crossing of the border, the smuggling and resisting to the police. Tbilisi Human Rights House believes that this decision of court is unfair and continues to support Afgan and his family”, - mentions Human Rights House. In full  Source: The organization’s page

Tbilisi. Coalition for an Independent and Transparent Judiciary publishes opinions for the Parliament of Georgia regarding bills on the fourth wave of a judicial reform. "The Parliament of Georgia reviews through the first reading a package of bills on proposed amendments to both the Organic Law of Georgia on Courts of General Jurisdiction and Codes of Civil and Administrative Procedure. The package of bills is a constituent initiative of the fourth stage of the judicial reform” – is noted in the statement, - according to initiators, legislative changes aim at settling problems related to delays in court proceedings and overloading of judges. As it is known for the Coalition, on a later stage, within the frames of the fourth wave of the judicial reform, it is also intended to make amendments into the fields of disciplinary proceedings of judges, activities of the High Council of Justice, the High School of Justice. We underline that the Coalition supports continuation of systemic reforms in court and hope that amendments of the fourth wave will respond to challenges that exist in court in terms of informal and unhealthy governance, empowerment of individual judges and increase of accountability. Hereby, the Coalition negatively appraises the process of working on the "fourth wave” reform, which is carried out in isolation, without participation of professional groups and civil society organizations. Taking into consideration previous experience of working on judicial reforms, it is unclear for us what has been the reason for exclusion of those organizations from this process that have long experience of monitoring court and council, as well as working on reforms and strategies for judiciary. The Coalition hopes that preparation of other bills of the fourth wave will continue to take place in a more open and participatory manner”. Read more… Source:The website of the organization

Tbilisi. The Public Defender of Georgia, addressed the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia with a recommendation concerning the improper response to the fact of violation of norms of ethics by a police officer. As the Public Defender said, a representative of the Public Defender of Georgia visited one of the police stations with regard to the case of violence that took place in the family of a representative of the LGBT community, during which, he witnessed disciplinary misconduct by a representative of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. In particular, a police officer did not allow the representative of the Public Defender to stay in the building despite the fact that the latter presented permission. In addition, the police officer expressed homophobic and aggressive attitude towards the LGBT community. In full  Source: The organization’s webpage

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) expresses solidarity to the family of Machalikashvili and the community of Pankisi. The organization is prepared to reveal the truth through all legal means and defend rights of the affected family. Source:The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. On January 9, 2018, Nino Lomjaria, the Public Defender of Georgia, appealed to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia and the Chief Prosecutor of Georgia for the purpose of taking effective measures to protect D.G., a victim of domestic violence. ''The Public Defender calls on the law enforcement agencies to consider the grave situation of domestic violence and violence against women in the country, thoroughly analyze the threats facing victims and their family members, and take effective measures to protect them'', is noted in the statement. In full… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Partnership for Human Rights (PHR) was defending interests of a violence affected woman in court. The court has defined that permanent threatening and humiliation of a woman with an intention to put her in a psychiatric institution causes disrespect of human dignity and honor, which is psychological harassment. Read more… Source:phrgeorgia.wordpress.com

Tbilisi. ''Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center'' (EMC) responds to a court trial on a Zviad Ratiani case and a fact of publicizing video footages. EMC intends to apply to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and demand taking disciplinary liability measures against those policemen who carried out illegal video recording. Read more... Source:The website of the organization

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) responds to a statement released by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It regards an investigative action taken in the Kistauri village and indicates information regarding health condition of a citizen T.SH. in details. The organization considers that publicizing this information the Ministry has violated requirements of the Law of Georgia on Personal Data Protection. Read more... Source:gyla.ge