Web Portal on Human Rights in Georgia
URGENT APPEALS
2017-06-26
არასამთავრობო ორგანიზაციების განცხადება - საარჩევნო სისტემაზე მმართველი პარტიის გადაწყვეტილება მიუღებელია
19 ივნისს ცნობილი გახდა მმართველი გუნდის გადაწყვეტილება 2020 წლის საპარლამენტო არჩევნებისთვის შეინარჩუნოს შერეული საარჩევნო სისტემა და სრულად პროპორციულ სისტემაზე გადასვლა მოხდეს 2024 წლის არჩევნებისთვის. ამასთან, უმრავლესობის წარმომადგენლების განცხადებით 2020 წლის არჩევნებისთვის ბარიერი ერთჯერადად 3%-მდე შემცირდება. ამავე დროს, ძალაში დარჩება გადაწყვეტილება საარჩევნო ბლოკების გაუქმების შესახებ.
2017-06-16
Nongovernmental Organizations Call for Reforming the Repressive Drug Policy and the Police System
The Coalition for an Independent and Transparent Judiciary and the National Platform for Drug Policy react to the Kutaisi City Court decision on the case of induced suicide committed by Demur Sturia and the criminal case of the band Birzha Mafia pending at Tbilisi City Court.
2017-06-16
„Free Chabuk!”
Mustafa Emre Chabuk, who was arrested upon the request of Turkey under the charge of membership of the terrorist organization, is still in the Prison # 8 of Georgia. Regardless the protest statements of the international and local nongovernmental organizations, there is risk that the manager of the Demirel College Mustafa Emre Chabuk may be transferred to Turkey.
2017-06-15
NGOs Respond to the Process of Electing Four Members of the High Council of Justice in the Parliament of Georgia
The Parliament of Georgia is reviewing the issue of electing four members of the High Council of Justice of Georgia (HCOJ). On June 6, 2017, at the meeting of the Legal Issues Committee, the Council listened to 29 candidates. Representatives of non-governmental organizations monitored the committee's work and are submitting to the society the evaluation of the selection of the members of the Council by the Committee.
2017-06-14
Parliament Must Consider All Recommendations of the Venice Commission
On June 16, 2017, the Venice Commission will approve its final opinion about the draft of amendments to the Constitution of Georgia. The Chair of the Parliament of Georgia has reiterated on numerous occasions that the government is ready to consider all recommendations of the Venice Commission; however, following release of preliminary opinion of the Commission on the draft amendments, the chair of parliament and individual MPs from the parliamentary majority have stated that they don’t share some recommendations of the Commission.
2017-06-09
Coalition Responds to the Proposed Draft Legislation Creating the Investigative Department for Cases of Ill-Treatment
The Coalition to Independent and Transparent Judiciary responds to the draft legislation that would create an investigative department for cases of ill-treatment at the Prosecutor’s Office rather than an independent investigative mechanism. The Coalition believes that this does not meet the minimum requirements for independence and transparency, and clearly demonstrates the government’s lack of political will to implement real reform.
2017-06-09
Joint Open Letter of International Organizations about Afgan Mukhtarli’s Abduction to the Prime Minister and Parliament of Georgia
We write to express our deepest concern about the abduction of Afgan Mukhtarli, an exiled Azerbaijani journalist, on 29 May in Tbilisi. He went missing after leaving his colleagues in the evening, before resurfacing the following day in Baku in the custody of Azerbaijan’s state border agency.
2017-06-08
STATEMENT OF MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS OF EASTERN PARTNERSHIP CIVIL SOCIETY FORUM GEORGIAN NATIONAL PLATFORM REGARDING THE CASE OF AFGAN MUKHTARLI
We, member organizations of Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum Georgian National Platform hereby express our deep concern due to the suspicious disappearance of Afgan Mukhtarli, Azerbaijani journalist and activist.
2017-06-08
Address of Human Rights Center about Azerbaijani Political Activist Dashgin Agararli’s Case
Human Rights Center is alarmed with the increased threats of prosecution, illegal surveillance and extradition of Azerbaijani civil activists residing in Georgia. The Center is particularly alarmed with the possible participation of the Georgian law-enforcement bodies, in particular the State Security Service, in the series of illegal and criminal acts against the Azerbaijani activists in Georgia.
2017-06-06
NGOs Address to the Parliament about the Election Process of New Members of the HCOJ
On June 6, 2017 the Legal Issues Committee is reviewing one of the most important issues for the independence of the Georgian judiciary – election of 4 new members in the High Council of Justice. We call on the Parliament of Georgia and the responsible committee to ensure transparent election of the HCOJ members in due respect of their professionalism.
2017-06-05
Non-governmental organizations’ appeal to the Government of Georgia regarding possible extradition of Mustafa Chabuk to Turkey
The organizations, signing below the present statement, are concerned regarding the process of extradition of Mustafa Emre Chabuk to Turkey, initiated by the Government of Georgia, and are calling upon the Government of Georgia to refrain itself from handing over Mustafa Chabuk to the Government of Turkey, where he will be possibly subjected to political persecution, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment, and will have no access to fair trial.
2017-06-05
Coalition Addresses the Hearing of Legislative Amendments on Lifetime Appointment of Judges
The Parliament of Georgia is hearing proposed amendments to the legislation regulating judicial probation, with the view of complying with the Constitutional Court decision[1] on the subject. The amendments are important for ensuring that competent and honorable judges populate the judicial system and also the accountability of High Council of Justice (HCOJ), since the law should determine the circle of judges who will be exempted from the probation period and set the procedure for their lifetime appointment.
2017-06-02
NGOs refuse to present their report and protest of the developments in the judicial system
In protest of the developments in the judicial system, NGOs refuse to present their report and demand creation of a parliamentary forum to discuss the developments and prompt reforms
2017-05-29
The Coalition calls on the High Council of Justice not to appoint Court Chairs using opaque processes
The High Council of Justice (HCOJ) is hearing the issue of appointing Court Chairs. This means that the current corps of the HCOJ, in the final days of its mandate, may appoint the Chairs for five-year terms.
2017-05-26
Statement of Human Rights Center about the Investigation of the Physical Assault on Chief Auditor Lasha Tordia
Human Rights Center will defend the interests of the Chief Auditor Lasha Tordia in front of the investigation bodies. The lawyers of the organization have officially taken up the case and carry out all necessary procedures.
2017-05-26
NGOs Respond to Latest Developments Related to the Incident between the Chief Auditor and Ex-Chief Prosecutor
Organizations signatory to this statement would once again like to respond to recent developments related to and the investigation of the incident between the Georgian Chief Auditor Lasha Tordia and Ex-Chief Prosecutor Otar Partskhaladze. May 24 saw a suspicious leak of a video discrediting the Chief Auditor. The video depicts a December 24, 2016 incident at a Tbilisi café that allegedly involved Chief Auditor. It turned out that an investigation on this incident had been launched on the same day under Article 151 of the Criminal Code of Georgia.
2017-05-22
Address of Human Rights Center about the Case of Deacon Giorgi Mamaladze
Human Rights Center believes it was illegal to expel the lawyers of Deacon Giorgi Mamaladze from the courtroom and to appoint state-funded lawyer instead.
2017-05-19
Statement of civil society and media organizations regarding plans to abolish seven self-governing cities
Establishment of an effective local government has been one of the main promises of the Georgian Dream government. In 2013, the Georgian Government approved the Guiding Principles of the Strategy for Decentralization and Development of Local Government, which defines the directions and stages of reform. In 2014, the Georgian Parliament adopted the Local Governance Code. The first stage of the reform involved increasing the number of self-governing cities and direct election of mayors/governors.
2017-05-18
Address of the Member Organizations of the Georgian National Platform of Eastern Partnership CivilSociety Forum to the Parliament of Georgia
Unfortunately, turns out that reaching the consensus is impossible within the frames of constitutional discussions on the issues important for institutional democracy, among which are the competencies of the leader of the state and election to the office.
2017-05-16
The Coalition Negatively Assesses the Ongoing Processes in the Judiciary
On May 11, 2017, the High Council of Justice (HCOJ) appointed 64 judges. Of them, five judges (former judges of the Supreme and Constitutional Courts) were appointed for life, without a probation period. Unfortunately, some of the candidates participating in the selection closed their interviews to public. Among them was Mikheil Chinchaladze, towards whom public interest was especially high. Hence, it is unknown to the Coalition how the interview process went, however the Coalition plans to request and review the assessments of HCOJ members.
OTHER NEWS
Human Rights Center Echoes Faulty Practice of the Prosecutor’s Office
Mother and daughter killed in Takhtidziri village of Kareli municipality
Public Defender of Georgia Echoes Disappearance of Azeri Journalist
Public Defender’s Right to Monitor Hearing of Cyanide Case Restricted
Four-Day International Forum Finished in Gori
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