Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) responds to the recommendation, made by the Commission for studying current circumstances in regard to a building, located in the Mokhe village of the Adigeni municipality and registered with the status of a cinema. ''EMC considers that the removal of the agenda point regarding study of historical and confessional origin of the disputed building, located in the Mokhe village, and its return to the historical owner means a refusal on a restitution, as a provision of property rights, and thus is a discrimination'' - is stated on the website of the organization. In full... Source:emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) organized an action, demanding an effective labor inspection. "The labor inspection is an institution, which at least can save a person, which at least can allow people to live in a relatively normal environment. We are talking about the labor inspection and not about a technical supervision bureau” – is stated on the website of the organization in a social network. In full… Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. Georgian Democracy Initiative (GDI) releases a statement regarding developments in the Mokhe village. ''Once again we respond to developments in the Mokhe village of the Adigeni municipality with concern and call on the government to stop discriminatory and repressive policy against the Muslim community of Georgia'' – is noted in the statement of the organization. In full… Source:gdi.ge

Tbilisi. On October 27, 2016, representatives of the Armenian non-governmental organizations visited the Public Defender's Office. ''First Deputy Public Defender Natia Katsitadze and heads of structural units briefed the guests of the directions and the mandate of the Public Defender's Office, as well as the problems of implementation of the anti-discrimination law and investigation of hate crimes, the working principles of the National Preventive Mechanism, gender equality activities, freedom of assembly and manifestation, etc,'' is noted in the statement. In full… Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Non-governmental organizations and the labor union publish a joint statement. ''In spite of obvious challenges, existing in reality, and international commitments with the European Union, current labor inspection mechanism represents a weak link, which cannot perform its main function – provision of prevention policy and effective response to violations'' – is noted in the joint statement. In full… Source:emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Media Development Foundation (MDF) publishes a blog post: ''Investigation of facts of pressure on journalists is ineffective in Georgia''. The Media Development Foundation has published a monitoring report of the "Action Plan of the Government of Georgia on the Protection of Human Rights” for 2014-2015 years. The document states that ''law enforcement and investigative agencies give irrelevant qualification to and investigate ineffectively those cases, in which signs of a crime, related to obstruction of professional activities of journalists, reveal''. In full… Periodic report... Source:www.media.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes a blog post: ''What has been changed in the forced drug testing practice''. ''Unfortunately, drug testing practice, currently existing in Georgia, not only fails to be directed towards protection of any individual or public goodness, on the contrary, mentioned mechanism rather causes stigmatization of tens of thousands of people or intensification of already existing stigma'' – is stated in the document. In full... Source:emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes an infographic on the injured and deceased during industrial accidents. Infographic... Source:emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. ''Coalition for Equality'' releases a statement regarding the fact of violence against a transgender woman. ''... The state should realize both symbolic meaning of such crimes and the fact that negative social consequence affects not only an individual victim(s), but the entire community as well and creates the sense of fear and insecurity, and desperation among community members'' – is noted in the joint statement. In full... Source:www.osgf.ge

Tbilisi. The Public Defender of Georgia is echoing the media reports, according to which, serious physical injuries were inflicted to a transgender women. An investigation is in progress under article 19-180 of the Criminal Code (attempted premeditated murder). ''The Public Defender calls on the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia to carry out a comprehensive, complete and objective investigation into the case and to focus on the alleged hate motive'', is noted in the statement. In full… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Coalition for Equality calls on the state to protect the rights of the Muslim community in Mokhe. ''The coalition considers that recent developments are the result of obvious ineffective policy of the State Agency for Religious Affairs... Social dissatisfaction, expressed within the Muslim community, is the most obvious indicator of inadequate policy'' – is stated on the website of the organization. In full… Source:emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. ''Open Society Georgia Foundation'' publishes a policy document: ''The Government’s Compromise on Violence against Children''. ''Corporal punishment is considered as a natural part of child-rearing and teaching discipline nowadays in Georgia. Adults assume that it is a traditional method of rearing, since none of the state institutions provides teaching positive methods of educating children. ... Results are reflected in neglecting children, as subjects of human rights, and in reproduction of violence within society'' – is stated in the policy document. In full… Source:www.osgf.ge

Tbilisi. Article 42 of the Constitution publishes a blog post about problems related to the June 13 disaster. ''... More than a year has passed since the disaster stroke, much has been done, however there are still a lot of unresolved issues. One of the significant problems that we would emphasize is a default in the legal base. The state did not appear to be ready for the June 13, 2015 disaster both technically and in terms of legislation. ... The state was not prepared for the emergency situations management, that's why a lot of mistakes were made'' – is stated on the website of the organization. In full… Source:The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. The Public Defender of Georgia has presented another information bulletin about the efforts of the Public Defender’s Office. ''The bulletin offers information concerning the project Monitoring of Human Rights Violations in the Pre-election Period and describes the activities of the task forces, court monitors and coordinators that were working within the framework of the project. It also reviews the meetings held by the Public Defender's Office for promoting the project. … The report provides information about the special report on the security and socio-economic rights situation of the people living along the dividing line of Samegrelo and Abkhazia, meetings of the consultative councils, meetings and international visits of the Public Defender and his deputies'', is noted in the statement. In full… Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Feminist platform of Heinrich Boell Foundation South Caucasus Bureau publishes a blogpost of Tamar Gurchiani: "We’ll reach the sky by all means”. ''Once Hillary Clinton said in her speech – "When there are no ceilings, the sky’s the limit”. My parents taught me to see the ceiling, in other words to notice those barriers that women had. Of course they also believed that I would reach the sky by all means. Since then I set as my mission to show these barriers to women and girls (and to men too) and to give them the faith, which I had taken from my parents - we’ll reach the sky by all means'' – is stated on the website of the organization. In full… Source:www.feminism-boell.org

Tbilisi. 11 October is the International Day of Girl Child. Celebration of this day is aimed at recognizing and protecting girls' rights, promoting their education and strengthening their capacity, as well as raising public awareness of different types of oppression and discrimination that girls face every day in different countries, including Georgia. ''Unfortunately, cases of forced engagement and marriage are still widespread. The main challenge is the lack of awareness and wrong views existing in the society. It is important to correct the deficiencies in the delivery of services and to solve the problem of inefficient response'', is noted in the statement. In full… Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Shida Kartli. On October 5, "Volunteer of Georgia” organized an inter-student conference on a topic "Human and Freedom”, which was held at the University of Gori. "The program is implemented by the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs of Georgia within the framework of the "Voluntary Service Development Program – Volunteer of Georgia” under the "Youth Policy Development Program” – is stated on the website of the organization in a social network. In full…    Source: The website of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. On 13 and 30 September, 2016, the Department of Gender Equality of the Public Defender's Office carried out monitoring of Tbilisi’s service facilities (shelters) of victims of trafficking and domestic violence that are administered by the State Fund of Protection and Assistance of Victims of Human Trafficking. ''The initial results of the monitoring show that there is a favorable environment in the shelter for the victims of both domestic violence and trafficking. The beneficiaries positively evaluated the service delivered to them and their treatment. However, a number of issues were revealed that need improvement'', is noted in the statement. In full… Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. According to the reports spread on October 4, 2016, a vehicle of MP Giorgi (Givi) Targamadze, member of the opposition party United National Movement, was exploded in front of the party office. ''It is alarming that such a fact comes just 3 days before the elections. Only the launch of the investigation, of course, is not enough. The law enforcement agencies must bring the process to an end and appropriate legal measures must be timely taken against offenders'', is noted in the statement. In full… Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Public Defender's Office of Georgia will monitor the 5 October rally of the United National Movement in Tbilisi. ''In particular, representatives of the Public Defender’s Office will monitor the protection of freedom of assembly and manifestation'', is noted in the statement. In full… Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. On 27-29 September, 2016, meetings were held between the institutions of the Public Defender of Georgia and the Danish Parliamentary Ombudsman in the Danish capital of Copenhagen. The aim of the meetings was to share experience on the issues of asylum seekers and refugees. ''The Public Defender’s Office will analyze the acquired knowledge and the best experience of a successful country and will use it during its activities aimed at protection of the rights of asylum seekers and refugees, as well as improvement of their situation'', is noted in the statement. In full… Source: www.ombudsman.ge