Tbilisi. On March 5, 2021, the Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) applied to the Administrative Cases Panel at the Tbilisi City Court with a request to abolish the curfew. “It has been more than 3 months that the curfew is in effect on the entire territory of Georgia in a continuous mode and with the same strictness. While in the 7 largest cities of the state, duration of the curfew exceeds 4 months”. The organization considers that the Government of Georgia restricts freedom of movement disproportionately, which contradicts requirements of Paragraph 3 under Article 453 of the Law of Georgia on Public Health. IDFI will apply to the Constitutional Court with the same issue in the near future. Read more... Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. Over the next month, USAID Georgia will share the stories of women who are breaking down barriers in Georgian society. If you live in Tbilisi, be sure to visit our photo installation at the entrance to Vake Park. You can see the portraits of women who are smashing stereotypes and voice your own opinion on women’s empowerment. When you visit, post a photo with the installation and tag the women who have inspired you! And remember to use the campaign hashtag: #SmashingStereotypes. You can also visit photo installations in Batumi, Kutaisi, and Telavi".  Read more… Source: The organization’s page in the social network

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes an article by Giga Karapetyan and Ani Gogberashvili: “Women street traders and the pandemic: Fighting for daily needs”. "In this context, our research article is an attempt to analyze social and economic dimensions of street trading straight from the perspective of women street traders. For the article, we conducted ten interviews with women street traders self-employed in Gori and Tbilisi. Most of them are pensioners and are considered to be the main breadwinners in their families”, - is stated in the article. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association publishes an appraisal in regard to women rights related situation. “March 8, International Women’s Day, has been a date to mark fight for equality of women for years. In a patriarchal society, women and girls appear in an unequal position, gender-based violence takes place more frequently, work of women is underestimated, while the role of a woman is diminished. To fulfil its commitments, made upon ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the so-called Istanbul Convention), Georgia has taken various measures in recent years so as to ensure equality of women and protect them from violence. Despite taken steps forward, the issue of gender equality still remains a problem and requires to have the state work on many aspects”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Civil society organizations and civil movements demand from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara to stop construction of a 19-storey hotel complex on Batumi Boulevard immediately. “A permit for construction of a 19-storey (3 underground) hotel on Batumi Boulevard, which has the status of a garden-park cultural heritage monument, was issued to a company “Ambassador Batumi” on January 21 by the Adjara Cultural Heritage Protection Agency disregarding cultural heritage legislation and neglecting public interests towards the boulevard”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) and Green Alternative submit an appeal to the Tbilisi City Court to defend interests of local population and demand suspension of enforcement of the order of the Minister of Environmental Protection and Agriculture, based on which a positive environmental decision on the cascade of Namakhvani HPPs was issued. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association publishes a document, which contains a study of measures taken by the state in the circumstances of the pandemic, international recommendations elaborated in this regard, best practices of other countries. In the document, there are also identified challenges that are faced by people with disabilities. “While working on the document, there have been conducted interviews with people with disabilities, parents of children with disabilities, staff of day care centers and organizations protecting interests of the disability community. Eventually, within the framework of the report, there were analyzed effectiveness of measures, taken by the state to apply rights of people with disabilities, and their compliance with international recommendations”. Read more… Discussion record… Source: gyla.ge

Tbilisi. On March 4, 2021, IDFI presented the study “Challenges of Whistleblowing in Georgia – Legislation and Practice”. The aim of the research is to determine the reason for the low number of cases of whistleblowing in Georgian public institutions, to identify gaps, and to elaborate specific recommendations for their elimination through the analysis of the legislation and study of the practice.  The full study and key findings can be found here... Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. #ReturnMySurname is a civic campaign, within the framework of which Azerbaijani activists demand to have Russian ending of their surnames changed to Azerbaijani. “We are people who always carry an ID card with us. It is a document, which demonstrates our state identity on the one hand, however, when looking into our own ID card, it also reminds us about occupation of our country and surnames. This is what often makes us angry, irritates, hearts”. The campaign is organized by a “Salam” platform with the support of EWMI ACCESS. Read more… Source: The website of the “Salam” Platform in a social network

Tbilisi. The Coalition for an Independent and Transparent Judiciary expresses its concern in regard to a decision taken by the Tbilisi Court of Appeals against Transparency International Georgia.  Tthe court considered opinions indicated by the organization in the study as defamatory. “We would like to emphasize that in case if this decision remains in force, there will be endangered the freedom of speech and expression as well as fundamental principles of activities of organizations protecting human rights in the country”. Read more… Source: gyla.ge

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Tbilisi. In the context of the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus in Georgia, members of the Special Preventive Group of the Public Defender studied the epidemiological situation and protection of patients' rights at Tbilisi Mental Health Center. “The monitoring showed that patients at Tbilisi Mental Health Center are not protected from violence, inhuman or degrading treatment. They are not provided with psycho-social rehabilitation services, while the infrastructure fails to ensure the protection of their dignity. The Public Defender calls on the State to respond to the acute problems at the facility in a timely manner”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. According to an assessment of the Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC), an agreement signed between the Government and “Enka Renewables” LLC., an investor, in regard to the Namakhvani project makes it clear that not only the project is going to fail to contribute to energy security of the country, as announced by the Government, but also the agreement anticipates heavy and indefinite fiscal impact on the state budget. The analysis of the agreement reveals that the company uses natural resources of Georgia actually free of charge and does not take the responsibility to sell energy on a domestic market, which invalidates even arguments about energy security or economic benefits of the country. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. GIP is joining the International Women’s Day Celebration and launching a week-long social media campaign under the framework of the project “Promoting Youth Transformational Leaders in Georgia". The campaign aims at raising awareness about the issues related to gender equality and to promote women’s social-political engagement in Georgia. For that matter, we are excited to share with you the powerful stories of some of our female participants of Emerging Leaders School #ELS2021, who strive to make meaningful impact and positive changes in their communities.  Each day until March 8 we will manifest their contribution as change-makers and hope you enjoy and get inspired. The initiative - Emerging Leaders School (ELS) is being implemented within the framework of the project “Promoting Youth Transformational Leaders in Georgia” by Georgian Institute of Politics (GIP)with the financial support of USAID/Georgia. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia has studied the National Plan for COVID-19 Vaccine Deployment document within the limits of its competence and found that the plan does not include any corruption-related risk assessment or measures against dishonest actions. In order to lower corruption risks in the process of immunization, it is necessary to: Add a component of/section on integrity to the national plan for vaccine deployment; Introduce a mechanism for reporting and responding to violations related to the immunization process; Add an integrity component to the training program provided for by the immunization plan; Conduct the process of immunization in conformity with the principle of complete transparency, so that representatives of civil society and any concerned citizen have the opportunity to observe the process. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. According to the information of the CENN, in Georgia, 40% of the waste on landfills is organic waste, large portion of which is food products. Food waste that decomposes in landfills releases carbon dioxide and methane, the latter being a greenhouse gas that is at least 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. An interactive map has been developed in collaboration with the Council of Europe and the Office of the Ombudsman aiming to create one space where organizations, working on issues related to discrimination, hate speech or hate motivated crimes, can find services they need. “If you are a victim of discrimination and need a legal, psychological, medical, social worker or shelter assistance, go to the website... Find an interactive map that provides detailed information about services offered by non-governmental organizations and state agencies to victims of discrimination. Please, email us at: info@ombudsman.ge if you would like information about a service provided by your organization to be placed on the map”. Read more… Source: The website of “I Choose Equality” in a social network

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes a video footage prepared within the framework of the project – “Promoting and Enabling Legal Capacity in Georgia”. “In 2014, the Constitutional Court restored deprived civil rights of hundreds of people with disabilities. They are no longer given the status of incapable and no guardian is appointed to look after them. In independent life, they are now assisted by a supporter of their choice”. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. According to Transparency International Georgia the decision by the Tbilisi Court of Appeals which ruled against the organization is unsubstantiated to such a degree that it raises questions with regard to the impartiality of the judiciary and threatens the high standards of the freedom of speech and expression established by the judiciary so far. “We hope that the Supreme Court will make an objective assessment of the decision made by the court of lower instance and that the court of cassation will maintain the high standard of the freedom of speech and expression it has established”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Imereti. The Open Society Georgia Foundation supports population and activists contesting construction of the Namakhvani HPP. “The intense protest of local population is caused by the fact that geological and ecological peculiarities of the existing project have not been substantially studied, while both economic and social justifications of the project are vague. This is also proved by the fact that the positive environmental assessment, made in February 2020, was changed in September of the same year, thus depriving the company of a legal permit to carry out preparatory works. Nevertheless, the company still continues to perform technical works unlawfully”, - is stated on the website of the organization. Read more… Source: osgf.ge

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC), on behalf of “Batomi”, a civil society organization, contests a permit issued for construction of a 19-storey hotel complex on Batumi Boulevard. “Batomi” and EMC consider that a decision made by the Adjara Cultural Heritage Protection Agency is unequivocally unlawful and irreversibly, as well as substantially damages the immovable site of cultural heritage – Batumi Boulevard. Read more… Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. Representatives of the media and civil society, call on high-ranking decision-makers, the Prime Minister of Georgia, members of Parliament, and the Chairman of the Georgian Dream party: Stop aggressive rhetoric and incitement of hatred towards representatives of media… “The state propaganda machine labels critical media as political opponents and promotes intolerance towards them. In a politically polarized society, such an attitude towards the media encourages further attacks. Politically motivated lawsuits are being filed against media representatives. The broadcasting regulatory authority is politicized and seeks to impose censorship”. Read more… Source: gyla.ge