FIDH Regional Seminar, National, Regional and International Remedies for Victims of Human Rights Violations

Tbilissi, 8-10 November 2008

We, FIDH member and partner organizations express our support to human rights defenders and to civil society representatives working in Georgia, and share their concerns about human rights violations and shortcomings in Georgia. Of particular concern are : the growing control over media outlets, the lack of independence of the judiciary, the monopolisation of political and media space by the authorities during election campaigns, persecutions of some members of the opposition, and the detention conditions in prisons where cruel and inhumane treatments and cases of torture are reported. We will continue to follow with attention the issues of discrimination against women in the labour market and in public and political life, domestic violence, the situation of minorities, exercise of the right of assembly and the violation of property rights.

We call for the establishment of an independent enquiry on the November 2007 crackdown on demonstrators and for the prosecution of those responsible. We urge Georgian authorities to eradicate all forms of excessive use of force by law enforcement officials

We call upon Georgian authorities to fully comply at all times with International Norms and Conventions, and to implement all recommendations made by UN Treaty Bodies, as well as the recommendations of the OSCE / ODHIR Election Observation Mission Final Report.

On the occasion of the upcoming EU-Georgia Cooperation Council in November 2008, we call upon the European Union not to put aside serious concerns about the situation in the country on the pretext of the difficult situation due to the war, but to insist on the implementation of all these recommendations.