Tbilisi. According to information released by the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, court ruled that in May 2018, the Parliament of Georgia unjustifiably refused an employee to take leave and fired him from work. “Court annulled the order regarding dismissal of the plaintiff from the position of the leading specialist of the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee office and charged the Parliament of Georgia to make a new decision based on study, examination and conciliation of circumstances that have substantial significance for the case”. GYLA defended rights of the dismissed employee in court. Read more… Source:gyla.ge

Shida Kartli. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) has won the employment-related dispute of one more social worker. "According to the March 19 decision of the Khashuri District Court, the LEPL “Agency for State Care and Assistance for the (Statutory) Victims of Human trafficking” must reinstate the social worker, fired in 2019, as well as compensate the loss. Besides, as the court ruled, the restitution and compensation process should begin immediately, which judgement is especially important and rare in employment-related law cases. This is already the sixth successfully completed dispute out of those eight cases that EMC works on. As for the remaining two disputes, trials still take place and public will be informed about the news related to these cases during legal proceedings”, - is stated on the website of the organization in a social network. Read more... Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. The Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG) shares a survey of community organizations operating in Georgia in 2019-2020 years. “The purpose of the survey was to study groups operating in villages or small settlements of Georgia, their working environment and obstacles. Besides coming up with the results of the survey and accompanying recommendations, there was also a justified list of active community organizations. The list will be made public in the spring of 2021. See the survey in Georgian  See the survey in English   The survey was conducted by the Community Development Center (CDC) in 2019-2020 years with the support of the Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG) and the Open Society Georgia Foundation, while it was translated into English within the framework of the “Civil Society Sustainability Initiative” project. Read more… Source: The website of the organization in a social network

The web portal CsoGeorgia.org releases a weekly newsletter of grants competition, contests, vacancies, fellowships, and tenders for civil society organizations, and for any interested person. Newsletter...

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) responds to an interview broadcasted through the air if the TV Company “Mtavari” and notes that the continued practice of unlawful surveillance causes an irreparable damage to human rights and the democratic order. “Use of information, obtained in this way, for political purposes is encouraged by inefficiency of the Government and absence of political will to investigate facts of violation of privacy. The practice of unlawful surveillance and gross violation of privacy is directly linked to both failure of legislative and institutional reforms in this field and delayed, as well as ineffective response of law enforcement agencies to specific cases”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. According to the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), on March 22, 2021, there was published a joint conclusion of the Venice Commission and the Council of Europe Directorate General Human Rights and Rule of Law in regard to Special Administrator related amendments to the Law of Georgia on Electronic Communications. “This conclusion of the Venice Commission once again highlights that hasty legislative changes made by the Parliament of Georgia and other state actors are problematic. Besides, the conclusion confirms that the Special Administrator institution threatens fundamental principles of a state of law and democracy”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more... Source:idfi.ge

Tbilisi. The EU announced the winners of the 2020 EU Prize for Journalism. Winners were awarded in seven categories covering print, broadcast, online, photo and conflict-sensitive journalism. Check out the winner in the gallery below… Find out more about this years winners here... Source: eeas.europa.eu

Kvemo Kartli. Civil society organizations respond to developments that took place on March 21 in Marneuli, where activists of the “Movement for Georgia”, along with local population, demonstratively violated the curfew at 21:00.  “We have repeatedly stated that the Government tries to restrict freedom of expression unconstitutionally, justifying it with protection of public health. This time it is especially alarming that we are dealing with the threat of restriction of physical freedom of citizens and their criminal liability. It is noteworthy that the activists decided to hold the rally after the authorities did not heed a request of ethnic Azerbaijani citizens and did not lift the restriction of movement for the overnight of Nowruz Bayram. We consider that this decision is inconsistent and, moreover, discriminatory against ethnic minorities. The Government could make an exception in this case, especially on the background of intended easing of regulations for a football match on March 28, 2021, in fact, restrictions, for instance, were also lifted on the night of January 1”, - is noted in the joint statement. Read more… Source: www.gdi.ge

Tbilisi. On March 21, 2021, a TV story was aired on Mtavari Channel about alleged secret recordings of private life, including those showing the life of politician Ana Dolidze. “The victims of the release of secret recordings of private life or the threats relating to the release of such recordings are mainly female politicians in Georgia. This practice is used as a systemic tool of violence against women involved in public and political processes, in order to oppress and silence them. The Public Defender condemns the practice of illegal interference with the private life by the State, expresses solidarity with all victims and calls on the State to take convincing steps”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. “Rights Georgia” offers a unique opportunity. If you work on protection of rights of asylum seekers, refugees and people with humanitarian status, you can register on the country of origin information portal: and gain access to human rights studies around the world. Read more… Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. On June 18, 2020, police officers stopped a child in Tbilisi and demanded to present an identity document, which the juvenile did not have. Police officers decided to take a photo of him, while the juvenile refused it and, therefore, policemen decided to detain the juvenile, however, people did not allow them to do so. During the attempt of detention the child received bodily injuries. On October 29, 2020, PHR applied to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and demanded a copy of an administrative case file related to the juvenile, but the Ministry delayed the process. In order to protect interests of the child, #PHR applied to the State Inspector’s Service. The State Inspector reviewed the case and concluded that materials were handed within an unreasonable timeframe. According to the conclusion, the Ministry of Internal Affairs performed its duties improperly. In particular, it provided the applicant with the documentation in an unreasonable timeframe, improper manner and incompletely. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia was declared an offender and fined GEL100 as an administrative penalty. Partnership for Human Rights continues to defend interests of the child. Read more… Source: phr.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association responds to a story broadcasted through the program “Post Factum” on the TV Company “Mtavari”. “A respondent Ivane Gulashvili states that he was an employee of the state security and, on the order of high-ranking officials, used to install recording devices for covert surveillance in residential houses of public figures or various technical equipment. GYLA condemns unlawful encroachment on private life. Extends its support to Ana Dolidze and all victims of unlawful covert surveillance. At the same time, we note that in Georgia, there is painful experience of publicizing personal life footage, obtained through covert surveillance in the recent past, and it entails consequences. This fact requires timely, impartial and effective investigation to be carried out by relevant state agencies”. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. The Women’s Movement responds to information broadcasted through the air of TV Company Mtavari on March 21 by Ivane Gulashvili, a former employee of the State Security Service, who is currently in custody. “In an interview with a journalist, Ivane Gulashvili talked about possible covert surveillance of Ana Dolidze, a female politician. Sadly, we remember moral terror perpetrated against a number of politically active women and attempts to oust them from public life. We note that similar unlawful practices have developed into systemic violence in the country. Manipulating or disclosing private, including sexual life of a woman is the most brutal method of ousting women from politics, as well as discrediting and marginalizing them. We call on the investigative body to launch an investigation, interrogate all people who may be involved in the unlawful surveillance of Ana Dolidze, and use all available resources to prevent spreading of personal life footage. We express our full solidarity with Ana Dolidze and urge the international community to respond respectively”, - is noted in the statement. Read more... Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. The Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC) publishes a document: Joe Biden, Russia, Ukraine and Georgia. “Time shows the influence of the new administration on Georgia and Ukraine. It can now be said that efforts spent against Russian expansion, fight against corruption, and establishment of democratic institutions retain priority in the agenda of Biden. Democracy and the rule of law are under the question mark in both Ukraine and Georgia”. Read more... Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. Georgian Center for Strategy and Development (GCSD) presents a study – “Transformation of information warfare methods on the background of development of modern communication capabilities”. Visit the link to find the study in full... “Information warfare, “fake news”, disinformation, these are the terms that have taken place in our daily life. Experts and analysts spend their efforts to address challenges of information warfare, however, it is important to take into consideration not only current circumstances but also those from the past”. Read more… Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. On March 19, 2021, Public Defender of Georgia Nino Lomjaria participated in the 5th Conference on the World Down Syndrome Day. This year's message for World Down Syndrome Day is "Connect", which responds to the pandemic situation in the world. “The online conference was dedicated to the importance of promoting the development of children with Down syndrome aged between 7 and 18 years. In Georgia, this age group still does not have adequate support in the form of public services. Current programmes are scarce, outdated and unable to meet modern challenges and individual development needs of such children”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Center has been implementing a “Mitigate impact of the pandemic for lonely elderly people in Shida Kartli” project since January 20, 2021. Within the framework of the project, volunteers interviewed more than 100 lonely/living alone elderly people in all four municipalities (Gori, Khashuri, Kareli, Kaspi) via direct visit. According to statements of the vast majority of them, they do not benefit from the state program for provision of medicines for treatment of chronic diseases, even though the program envisages provision of medicines for treatment of chronic cardiovascular diseases, chronic lung diseases, diabetes (type II), thyroid diseases, epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease. Read more… Source: The website of the organization

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia published information about the member of Batumi City Council and his son-in-law.  Transparency International Georgia found out that the former company of Batumi City Council public official received GEL 228,388 from electronic tenders and simplified procurements during 2019-2020, out of which GEL 143,426 comes from the Garden Association of Batumi Municipality. According to the decree, this association is supervised by the commission that is chaired by Irakli Pataridze - “It controls the activities of the city hall and its structural units in the field of action, and will submit a relevant report to the city council upon request”1. Accordingly, the commission should not only execute quality control of the municipal service but should investigate the purpose of the costs and corruption risks.  Read more…   Source: The web-page of the organization

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) has submitted its conclusion on changes in the Election Code to the Parliament. “The initiative envisages abolition of the election registration of the subject, a political leader participating in the pre-election campaign of which is a person who does not meet any of the censorships stipulated by the Constitution. Norms restricting freedom of parties require more rigorous test of accuracy and predictability than the one applied in regard to other, non-political unions. It is essential to make sure that the measure of liability, selected for the breach, is restraining, proportionate and directly related to the breach. Abolition of the election registration of a party without any alternative is not such a measure. GYLA calls on the Parliament to avoid appearance of those norms in the code, which impose blanket, disproportionate restrictions on political unions and contain threat of their unjustified and arbitrary disqualification, as well as to refrain from adoption of this bill”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Batumi. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara did not satisfy the request of EMC and “Society Batomi” to suspend construction of a 19-storey (3 underground) hotel on the territory of the cultural heritage monument of Batumi Boulevard. “With this decision, the Ministry has not taken into account that construction entails irreversible damage to the cultural heritage monument, the importance and benefit of which is invaluable for the city. Art historians Tamar Amashukeli and Tatia Gvineria talk about Batumi Boulevard as a cultural heritage monument”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. On February 22-25, 2021, the Public Defender’s Office monitored 21 public schools of Tbilisi,[1] in order to check the readiness of educational institutions for the educational process in the context of the pandemic and to identify the safety needs. “The monitoring revealed a lot of challenges, the prevention and elimination of which is important for ensuring the safety of the educational process. It should be noted that the inspected schools largely meet the necessary conditions for the virus prevention, however, some problems were identified with sanitation-hygiene, infrastructure, access to drinking water, toilet arrangement and distance protection. In some of the inspected schools it is necessary to put the sanitary system and infrastructure in order so that to make it possible to properly observe the hygienic norms”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Economic Policy Research Center (EPRC) publishes a document: “Strategic vision for development of a social security system”. The document contains main provisions that are agreed among authors. In the opinion of the organization, development of an optimal social security model for the country and society should be based on these provisions. Read more... Source: The website of the organization in a social network