Tbilisi. The ''Women's Movement'' and CSOs have reacted to the story aired by ''Imedi Week'' by appealing to media outlets on July 26. ''For media, as an influential institute to bear its share of responsibility before the public, it is central that when covering the cases of violence against women, it reflects the approaches provided in recommendations of UNESCO and other international organizations'', the joint statement says. The "Women's Movement" and CSOs express readiness for open discussions with media representatives. Read more... Source: www.ginsc.net

Tbilisi. CSOs have released a statement over individuals detained and fined during a peaceful rally "No to Panorama". "We are concerned by the fact that the court has failed to duly assess unjustified interference by the police in the freedom of assembly and expression of detained persons. ... We urge all three branches of government and each of their representative to fulfill duties taken under the Constitution and not only to respect the rights and freedoms warranted by the Constitution, but to do their best within their powers for supporting the realization of these rights in practice and protecting them from improper interferences", the joint statement says. Read more... Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. CSO "Young Barristers" believes the state regulations for a new group of recipients of compensations are fair. "Submitted amendments address the EU Directives on Georgia and considerably increase the Government's responsibility for implementation of the social protection policy. Any democratic state treats with special responsibility the opportunities concerning the social protection guarantees of group of individuals who had served special duties before the state. Provision of social protection guarantees in Georgia stems from the constitutional provisions and is based on the principles of fairness, equality before the law, continuity, and the state guarantee for receipt of compensation/state academic scholarship. Pursuant to effective legislation, Georgian MPs, members of the Constitutional Court of Georgia, judges of the Supreme Court of Georgia and the common courts, etc. enjoy the right to receive scholarships", the organization's web page states. Read more... Source: barristers.ge

Tbilisi. Representatives of the Public Defender's office, UN Children's Fund, office of the Personal Data Protection Inspector and other state agencies and CSOs have discussed the need to protect personal data and fill the gaps on July 29 in the office of the "Open Society - Georgia" Foundation. With the Foundation's support, CSO "Initiative for Rehabilitation of Vulnerable Groups" has carried out over 6 months a legal analysis of protection of children's personal data in the penitentiary system. This CSO continues working on issues related to protection of children's data in the penitentiary system. Read more... Source: www.osgf.ge

Tbilisi. ''Transparency International – Georgia'' has released a policy paper: ''Protection of Whistle-Blowers – International Practice and Recommendations for Georgia''. The paper includes a list of recommendations, ''implementation of which should fill the key gaps of the protection system of whistle-blowers in Georgia, and bring it closer to best international practices''. Read more... Source: www.transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Center urges the authorities to timely set up an effective investigation mechanism for crimes committed by law-enforcers. The center once again expresses "concerns over increased human rights violations in the police stations"... Read more... Source: humanrights.ge

Tbilisi. On July 28, the ''Georgian Democratic Initiative'' (GDI) has presented in the office of the ''Open Society - Georgia'' Foundation the report on performance of Chapters I and II of the Human Rights Action Plan. The report has evaluated in quantitative and qualitative respect the activities of responsible agencies for the period from July 2014 until December 2014. Monitoring carried out by the organization has identified positive as well as negative aspects of the Action Plan implementation process. The report... Source: gdi.ge

Tbilisi. The Association of Young Financiers and Businessmen has studied the taking away of the Ortachala HPP and the Zhinvali HPP from its lawful owners during the previous authorities. According to AYFB, investigation must be sped up, because "these specific cases clearly attest to gross and illegal interference by the previous authorities in the business sector". Read more... Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. "Transparency International - Georgia" has released a new blog: ''Illegal Dismissals in the Civil Service: Rights Restored in Courts''. Since 2012, the organization renders free legal aid to the dismissed civil servants. Read more... Source: www.transparency.ge

Tbilisi. The Public Defender has commented on the opening ceremony of ''Tbilisi 2015'', alleging the neglect of the needs of persons with disabilities. ''Individuals in wheelchairs experienced problems throughout freely entering the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, moving around, and attending the event.'' Read more... Source: www.ombudsman.ge Human Rights

Tbilisi. The Human Rights Education and Monitoring Center has appealed in the Constitutional Court the amendments made to the Resolution of the Government of Georgia on 1 June 2013. ''Under this Resolution, for the purposes of registering in the database of socially unprotected, the state no longer examines the applications by the homeless families, which have illegally occupied the state facilities; as a result, families living in extreme poverty are deprived of the possibility of receiving the subsistence, which in most of the cases is a sole source of their income. ...'', the organization's web page states. Read more... Source: emc.org.ge

Tbilisi. A special report on violence against women and domestic violence in Georgia was posted on the Public Defender's web page. It includes the results of monitoring and research carried out by the Public Defender's administration in 2014 on the state services and mechanisms addressing the issues of violence against women and domestic violence. Read more... Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. The Gender Equality Department of the Administration of the Public Defender of Georgia has monitored on July 10-11 the institution (shelter) providing services to the trafficking victims. Shelters in Tbilisi and Batumi were inspected and pros and cons of provided services were identified. Read more... Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. ''On December 15, 2014 the Public Defender of Georgia proposed the Parliament to introduce changes into the Administrative Procedure Code of Georgia, concerning the possibility of submitting ''Amicus Curiae'' on administrative proceedings.  The Parliament of Georgia accepted the suggestion of the Public Defender and by the legislative change of July 3, 2015, the Article 161 was added to the Administrative Procedure Code, which allows not only the Ombudsman, but also to any person, to submit their written observations on the merits before the substantial consideration of a case by the court. It should be noted that ''Amicus Curiae'' briefs were first introduced in the United States and this practice is widely used in the legal system of continental Europe; it is also actively used by the European Court of Human Rights''. For the full information... Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. ''ISFED'' has interviewed 33 families left homeless as a result of natural disaster and evaluated the efficiency of assistance process rendered by the state. The organization continues monitoring and will provide the results in the next reports. Read more... Source: www.isfed.ge

Tbilisi. A round table was organized on July 22 as part of the joint project of the Public Defender of Georgia and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) "Capacity Building of the Center for Children's Rights". Meeting participants have discussed "systemic problems of foster care and reintegration sub-programs and the experience of the Social Service". Read more... Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. A joint project of the Human Rights Center, Public Defender of Georgia and the Office of the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities - the Human Rights Summer School has ended successfully. Twenty youngsters of 15-20 years of age have taken a seven-day course of trainings in the Human Rights Summer School. Project participants were selected from various regions of Georgia, including the occupied districts of Gali and Akhalgori. Read more... Source: www.humanrights.ge

Tbilisi. Public Defender has released the June activity report of the Ombudsman's administration. Read more... Source: www.ombudsman.ge

Shida kartli. On July 14, ''Young Barristers'' arranged second regional meeting within the frameworks of the "Ethnic Minorities’ Forum” in Marneuli Municipality. Tea Tsulukiani - a Minister of Justice of Georgia participated in the Forum. The objective of the project is to inform, engage and increase ethnic minorities’ awareness and trust in the issues such as Eastern Partnership Program, Georgian-EU relations perspectives and the role of minorities in this process of Integration. Nino Isakadze, a project coordinator, has noted during presentation, that still, ethnic minorities are not well informed about the responsibilities and benefits followed by integration with Europe, and in order to resolve the problem, it is necessary to make people aware of the good and importance of European Choice. For the full information... Source: barristers.ge

Samtskhe-Javakheti. The Union of Democrat Meskhetians is setting up special mobile consultation centers for the region's population. With the center's assistance, the population will be able to receive free legal consultations without having to visit the city's center, in their own communities (town, village). For the full text... Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. A round table was held on July 13 over problems related to residence of repatriated Meskhetians, attended by representatives of the ministries, CSOs and the Ombudsman's administration. For the full text... Source: the organization's web page in the social network.

Tbilisi. CSO "Article 42 of the Constitution" has released publication "Decree leave, as the paternal right". It covers the experience and current norms of western states and Georgia. For the full text... Source: the organization's web page in the social network.