Tbilisi. On May 11, 2022, the Public Defender of Georgia and Prevention for Progress, a non-governmental organization, presented a joint report “Impact of Covid 19 on the Health and Other Rights of Prisoners and Staff of the Penitentiary System”. The study assesses the impact of special measures taken by the Special Penitentiary Service from March 2020 through 2021 on the rights situation of prisoners. “The results of the study show that restrictions were overused during the pandemic period and no appropriate efforts were made to find possible alternative solutions. No appropriate steps were taken by the state institution to reduce the number of prisoners”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Tbilisi. Do you want to be more involved in the activities of the Georgian parliament, read draft laws, make comments or have online communication with any member of the parliament? Download and install the application GEO PARLIAMENT created with EU support on your phone and enjoy all these opportunities.  To install the app please visit  Play Store… App Store… Source: The EU’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI) initiates a project in order to improve accessibility of public information within the framework of which offers full legal assistance to journalists and other media representatives regarding freedom of information. Legal assistance includes: Drafting applications, complaints and claims Representing in administrative bodies and courts  IDFI will cover state fees if necessary. Learn more… Source: idfi.ge

Tbilisi. The Kremlin continues to build a national narrative about the great victory of 77 years and the defeat of Nazism. IDFI's blogpost will analyze how attitudes towards May 9 have changed over the years, what forms the main parade dedicated to this day took in the modern Russian Federation, and which symbols or narratives dominated this day.  Read more…  Source: idfi.ge

Tbillisi. The Social Justice Center is representing Aida Balafkan's legal rights. Aida Balafkan, a British citizen on an academic visit to Georgia on April 26, 2022, was arbitrarily denied entry into the country by the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs. This Ministry decision is another example of allegedly discriminatory and arbitrary border crossing regulations. The decision, among other things, impedes academic interaction and worldwide cooperation in this regard. Read more... Source: socialjustice.ge

Tskaltubo. On May 4-5, a two-day working meeting was held in Tskaltubo dedicated to teaching children's rights at universities. The event was organized within the framework of the program focusing on the professional development of higher education teachers in terms of children's rights. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. According to the IDFI International organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) annually publishes Global Press Freedom index results and rankings for 180 countries in the world. Results and estimations for 2022 became available to the public today.  Index for 2022 shows significant worsening of freedom of media in Georgia compared to last year. Read more… Source: idfi.ge

Samtskhe-Javakheti. Transparency International Georgia periodically looks into the practice of “revolving door” in Georgia. “Revolving door” refers to the movement of individuals between public-sector and private-sector jobs, that involves risks of corruption and conflicts of interest. This time around, TI Georgia have exposed such fact in the Borjomi municipality. “When Piran Gogichaishvili, the owner of Mshenebloba da Proektireba LLC (Construction and Design LLC), was appointed to a position in the Borjomi City Council in 2018, he transferred his company to Vasil Mchedlidze for free. However, in 2022, after his term of office expired, the former City Council member reclaimed the company. As it transpired, Mshenebloba da Proektireba LLC and a sole entrepreneur, Vasil Mchedlidze, received GEL 2,203,460 through 52 public procurement contracts awarded by the Borjomi municipality over the period between 2018 and 2021”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. On May 6 held the presentation of two studies on public attitudes toward LGBTQ people and their human rights and legal protection in Georgia. “The LGBTQI people remain one of the least protected and most marginalized social groups in Georgia. They face discrimination and violence, while the protection and realization of their rights remain a challenge.  On the other hand, recent research reveals that negative public attitudes towards the LGBTQI community have been decreasing in the last five years. A series of studies were conducted with assistance from the Government of Sweden and the United Nations support. The event was organized with support from the Swedish Government and three UN agencies – UN Women, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Adjara. Today, on May 5, a multi-institutional regional meeting on juvenile referral system was organized in Batumi by UNICEF and Prevention For Progress organization with the support of the European Union in Georgia. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Adjara. In Batumi, on May 5, 2022, the disabled peoples’ organizations Changes for Equal Rights and the Coalition for Independent Living in frames of the EU-funded project Civil Society for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Georgia hosted a panel discussion aiming at marking the European Independent Living Day. “The theme of event was Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities, Challenges and Support Services. The meeting brought together disabled activists and leaders from the Independent Living Centers to discuss the challenges persons with disabilities face and to learn more about the services the centers provide to them”. Read more… Source: eu4georgia.eu

Imereti. Taso Foundation is visiting target villages as part of the Women’s Economic Empowerment project. On May 5, the foundation held working meetings in the villages of Dimi and Tuzi in Imereti region. Taso Foundation is implementing the project in Shida Kartli, Samegrelo, Guria, Imereti and Racha-Lechkhumi regions with the support of the UN Women and the Norwegian Government. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. Transparency International Georgia analyzed the business interests of Tbilisi City Assembly members. It revealed cases of alleged political corruption, incomplete declaration of business activities, and other essential facts that may be of interest to voters. “15 of the 29 public officials in the Tbilisi City Council filled in the asset declarations improperly; 16 members of the Georgian Dream faction in Tbilisi City  Council donated an identical amount of money (5-10 000 GEL) to the party on the same day (October 12, 2021), amounting to a total of 115,000 GEL; 23 of the 50 members of the Tbilisi City Council have business ties. 12 of them are public officials; TI Georgia urges Civil Service Bureau of Georgia to review the violations found in the asset declarations of public officials below and respond in accordance with the law”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. Public Defender submitted alternative report on enforcement of rulings taken against Georgia by European Court and UN Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women to Parliament of Georgia. “The alternative report reviews the general measures taken by the State to enforce the rulings delivered by the European Court of Justice against Georgia in the following cases: Tsintsabadze Group, Identity Group, N.Ts. and Others v. Georgia, Amiridze v. Georgia, and Merabishvili v. Georgia. In addition, the report assesses the general measures taken against Georgia by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in the case of Khanum Jeiranova. The document analyzes the adequacy of the steps taken by the State for the enforcement of the rulings”. Read more… Source: ombudsman.ge

Social Justice Center,s report envelopes the administered cases and their respective analyses within the framework of the project "Legal Aid Network for Activists" in the period from the beginning of 2021 through March 2022. see more... source: socialjustice.org

Guria. On May 4, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Norway to Georgia Helene Sand Andresen and UN Women Representative in Georgia Kaori Ishikawa, together with representatives of Taso Foundation, visited  former participant of the Women's Economic Empowerment Project, Keti Tsilosani in Lanchkhuti. “Keti Tsilosani told the guests in detail how she founded the social cafe "At Keto’s" as a result of her participation in the project, which is one of the most famous gathering places in Lanchkhuti today”. Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the 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...

On May 1, 2022, the amendments defined by the Ordinance of the Government of Georgia came into force. The amendments provide for the alteration of the service fee rates provided by the National Agency of Public Registry, including the increase of the costs of services relevant to entrepreneurial and non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entities. The amendments include but are not limited to the following: The fee for the registration of an entrepreneurial and a non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entity, as well as changes to and termination of registered data, is set at GEL 200 (instead of 100 GEL) if given within one working day, whereas the fee for an accelerated procedure (task completion on the same day) is set at GEL 400. (Instead of 200 GEL)  For non-commercial legal entities, the fee for the registration of the entity's e-mail address and telephone number, as well as changes to already registered data or its termination, is 26 GEL (Instead of 20 GEL) within one working day, or 75 GEL (Instead of 50 GEL) if the service is to be provided within the same working day.  Changes in the subject of the right and the object registered in the register of entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurial (non-commercial) legal entities are free of charge within one working day, and the fee for accelerated receipt of the same service (within the same working day) has been increased to 75 GEL (instead of 50 GEL).  The cost of preparing the extract from the public registry within one working day is 20 (Instead of 15 GEL) GEL, whereas the rate for the same service is 13 GEL (instead of 10 GEL) if the request is submitted electronically over the Internet. The cost of the service in an accelerated way is 75 or 52 GEL (instead of 50 or 40 GEL) respectively. More information on these and other amendments (geo)...

Tbilisi. Social Justice Center publishes the analytical document: The Implications of the Second Karabakh War on Georgia's Non-Dominant Ethnic Groups. “On September 27, 2020, the second Karabakh war broke out between the countries of Azerbaijan and Armenia. The military conflict lasted for 44 days and ended with the signing of a trilateral agreement between the President of Azerbaijan, the Prime Minister of Armenia, and the President of Russia on November 10, 2020, after the takeover of the city of Shushi by the military forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This war had significant ramifications not only on the countries involved in the war but also on the region as a whole and impacted the balance of power in the region. The presented document aims to investigate the effects of the Karabakh war on Georgian citizens”. Read more… Source: socialjustice.org.ge

Tbilisi. Check out Transparency International Georgia's blog on a new draft of government-initiated changes to parliament. “The reflection of the new changes proposed by the government in the legislation unjustifiably increases the power of investigative agencies to obtain the confidential information of persons by bypassing judicial control”. Read more… Source: transparency.ge

Tbilisi. On the occasion of the World Press Freedom Day, the EU and ISFED hosted a conference for media representatives to assess the Georgian media landscape and discuss existing challenges and possible solutions. One of the highlights was a keynote address from Peter Stano, Spokesperson for External Affairs of the EU. Check out some photos from the conference… Source: The EU’s page on the social network

Tbilisi. With the Legal Assistance of “Rights Georgia”, the Iranian Citizen Won the Dispute in the Tbilisi Court of Appeals. “Mariam Magradze, a lawyer of "Rights Georgia", represented the beneficiary interests before the Tbilisi Court of Appeals within the framework of the IOM project -“COVID-19 and Needs of Migrants in South Caucasus”, implemented with the support of the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (BPRM)”. If you are a Migrant in Georgia and need legal counseling, please contact "Rights Georgia": (+995) 577 28 22 77  Read more… Source: The organization’s page on the social network