Tbilisi. Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association comments about video coverage on torture, broadcasted via the TV Company ''Obieqtivi''. ''We consider it unacceptable to have mentioned video coverage transmitted by the media in the above said manner, because it violates the right of victims to privacy and may have severe psychological consequences as for the victims themselves, as for their family members and the general public'' – is noted in the statement of the organization. In full... Source:gyla.ge

Tbilisi. Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center (EMC) publishes the clarification on the decision of the Constitutional Court regarding the case "Beqa Tsiqarishvili against the Parliament of Georgia”. ''The court has made a decision that it is inadmissible to use deprivation of liberty, for any period of time, as a measure of punishment for the purchase-keeping of marijuana for the personal usage purpose'' – is noted in the statement of the organization. In full... Source:emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The Public Defender is responding to the recent developments of Georgia.  ''First of all, it is important all parties to realize their responsibilities in this tense situation and to refrain from making the kind of statements that may lead to more escalation, violence and aggression'', noted in the statement. In full... Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Public Defender's Office publishes the results of the study of the applications of convicts. ''The study of the applications of convicts, performed by the Public Defender’s office, shows that the Gori district court does not systematically provide the copies of judgments in criminal cases to the convicts within the deadline, stipulated by the law'' – is stated on the web-page of the Public Defender. In full… Source:www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Young Barristers responds to the disclosure of the videos about torture and inhuman treatment, found in caches and spread through the Ukrainian media sources. The organization considers that "the political and legal responsibility of those individuals, who have perpetrated in the years 2003-2012, has to be prosecuted ... In full... Source:www.barristers.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia responds to the videos, spread in the Ukraine. ''It is important that all individuals involved in the torture of people have been held responsible to the justice. Besides, the responsibility of those persons has to be subject to the justice too, who have taken part in the creation of mentioned system (torture and illegal eavesdropping of prisoners)'' – is noted in the statement of the organization. In full… Source:www.transparency.ge

Tbilisi. On October 13, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, requested to authorize investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the August, 2008 war in Georgia.  ''The report on violations of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law during the Russian-Georgian war of August 2008 released by Georgian NGOs in 2009 will be used as one of the sources for investigation... Five local NGOs such as Georgian Young Lawyers' Association, Human Rights Center, Union ''21st Century'', Article 42 of Constitution, Center for Protection of Constitutional Rights prepared the report with the help of Open Society Georgia Foundation'', noted in the statement. In full... Source: www.osgf.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia publishes the blog post about collective center facilities for internally displaced people in Samegrelo. ''Transparency International – Georgia'' has enquired information about the conditions, in which internally displaced people have to live at collective center facilities in Samegrelo - Zemo Svaneti region. Within the frames of the study the current condition of the collective center facilities located in Zugdidi, Tsalenjikha, Senaki and Khobi municipalities have been surveyed in those parts, where the rehabilitation has not been performed up to date'' – is stated on the web-page of the organization. In full... Source:www.transparency.ge

Tbilisi. On October 14, Georgian national and regional TV broadcasters joined a special agreement among broadcasters. The objective of the memorandum is to activate existing self regulatory mechanisms related to children issues. In full… Source:The web-page of the organization in a social network

Tbilisi. ''Georgian Democracy Initiative'' (GDI) publishes its information bulletin for the month of August. The bulletin contains an overview of the developments, taking place in the field of human rights. In full… Source:gdi.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia publishes the blog post regarding the necessity of the protection of whistleblowers. The organization notes that "due to imperfect legislative regulations, civil servants, acting in favor of public interest, are unable to benefit from the legal guarantees stipulated for the protection of the whistleblowers” – is stated on the web-page of the organization. In full… Source:www.transparency.ge

Tbilisi. On 7 October 2015 the Public Defender published a report on the visit of a special preventive group to the penitentiary facility N2. ''Conditions in the cells are generally satisfactory, however, the ventilation system is not effective; not all prisoners are provided with 4-square-meter areas; sanitary conditions in solitary confinement cells are unsatisfactory. In the monitoring period the facility had not been supplied with appropriate store products'', noted in the report. In full... Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. On 5-6 October 2015 the Public Defender's Office held trainings for journalists and representatives of local self-governmental bodies in the city of Zugdidi by the support from the ''Strengthening the Public Defender's Office in Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti Region'' project funded by the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria. ''The issues of gender equality, sexism, stereotypical attitudes and gender discrimination were discussed during the training. Discussions were held about the principles and sensitivity of covering the cases of violence against women'', noted in the statement. In full... Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. On October 2, the Parliament through the third reading is reviewing a draft of the new law on "Public Service”, which is supposed to transform public sector. In parallel to the amendments, the bill regulates the legal status of those, employed in public sector, in a new manner. The Human Rights Monitoring and Education Center (EMC) believes that "in spite of considering certain comments, presented bill still contains significant flaws” – reads the statement of the organization. In full… Source:emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. The present paper provides an evaluation of the Georgian national legislative framework on children with disabilities and reflects major legislative gaps in the view of the CRC and the CRPD. In addition, it proposes recommendations for further elaboration of a package of the legislative amendments. In full... Source: unicef.ge

Tbilisi. 1 October 2015 Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili held a presentation of a monitoring report of the Department of Rights of Persons with Disabilities of the Public Defender's Office and the National Preventive Mechanism about the state of rights of older persons in daily specialized facilities. ''The Public Defender has already appealed to relevant authorities with recommendations to properly ensure realization of the rights of older people under state care and to eradicate the existing shortcomings'', noted in the statement. In full... Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. 1 October is International Day of Older Persons. The Public Defender calls on the authorities to ensure adequate protection and realization of the rights of older persons in order to expand their capacities and equal involvement in all areas. ''The state does not have an effective policy for the older persons or a strategy for ensuring their rights or social welfare. The implementation process of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Aging and its Regional Strategy for the Implementation is delayed'', noted in the statement. In full... Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. On September 30, the Public Defender of Georgia and the deputies have met with Cristian Urse, the new Head of the European Council office in Georgia. ''The parties have discussed those projects, which have been implemented for years by the office of the Public Defender through the funding and support of the European Council. Besides, they have also talked about the necessity of strengthening future cooperation and perspectives'' – is stated on the web-page of the Public Defender. In full... Source:www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia publishes the results of public opinion survey. "78% of employed workers state that they have not worked overtime during last 6 months, while 7% work overtime almost every day. In such cases overtime work is not compensated to 62%, always compensated to 22%, periodically - to the rest” is noted in the survey of the organization. The survey has been performed by the Caucasus Research Resource Centers within the period of April-May 2015. In full… Source:www.transparency.ge

Tbilisi. As a result of signing the Association Agreement with the EU in 2014, Georgia undertook a commitment to gradually harmonize its legislation with the EU law, which resulted in adoption of the Law on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination by the Parliament of Georgia on May 2, 2014. The law granted the Public Defender the function to supervise and eliminate discrimination. ''The report reviews the procedures of acceptance of applications/complaints by the Public Defender and final decision-making. The report also covers the characteristics of collection of evidences, distribution of the burden of proof, submission of amicus curiae briefs and conduction of oral hearings for achieving agreement between the parties", noted in the statement. In Full... Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Public Defender has released the report on a visit of a special prevention group at the penitentiary institution #7. "It should be noted that during the visit the members of the Special Prevention Group have not received information about the facts of physical violence or verbal abuse of prisoners; however, hard living conditions, practices of excessive use of security measures, inadequate health services, lack of rehabilitation activities, absence of sufficient contacts with family members and, in general, with the outside world, observed at the institution, make it impossible for prisoners to serve the sentence in the conditions of respect to their dignity” – is stated in the report. The Public Defender hopes that the Ministry of Corrections will take all necessary measures to make detention conditions of prisoners compatible with human dignity. In full… Source:www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. On 17 September 2015 the Public Defender addressed the Children's Infectious Clinical Hospital of Tbilisi to develop a united action plan and an internal document to ensure equal treatment of patients, their parents, guardians or other representatives in all units of the hospital.  "According to the applicant, on 24 April 2015 his juvenile child N.G. was taken to the Children's Infectious Clinical Hospital due to an acute infectious disease and high temperature. The applicant wanted to stay with his child from 15:00 to 00:00, though the head of the hospital’s respiratory infections unit refused him to stay on the grounds that the mentioned right could be given only to the patient’s mother or grandmother, while men were not allowed to do it. The Public Defender considers that similar stereotypes restrict men to play an important role in their children’s life and to share parental burden with their wives. It is of vital importance to avoid the decline of fathers’ role in the child care and to enable them to equally enjoy parental rights in a stigma-free environment and fulfill their duties'', noted in the statement. In full... Source: www.ombudsman.ge