Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria funded three projects of Human Rights Center

The Embassy of Bulgaria funded the three projects of Human Rights Center with Bulgarian Development Aid:

• Complementary Rehabilitation and Re-socialisation Support in the Georgian Penitentiary System; 
• Trial Monitoring for women;
• Monitoring Conditions of Juvenile and Female Prisoners in Georgian Penitentiary

Project “Complementary Rehabilitation and Re-socialisation Support in the Georgian Penitentiary System,” to support rehabilitation and re-socialization of the prisoners with disabilities through art-therapy. The main targets of the project are the prisoners with disabilities, who will obtain labor and art skills and will cope with the stress caused by imprisonment. 

Project “Trial Monitoring for Women” aims to support transparency of trials and raise accountability of the judiciary or prosecution regarding the cases where women are victims (femicide, domestic violence, etc.) or defendants (drug related crimes) as well as hate crimes. The specific goal of the project is to reveal whether the principles of fair trial are ensured at the proceedings, such as principle of adversarial proceeding and equality of arms, right to reasoned decision, right to defense and independence and impartiality of judiciary. 

Project “Monitoring Conditions of Juvenile and Female Prisoners in Georgian Penitentiary” aims to support improvement imprisonment terms for female and juvenile convicts in Georgia. The conditions of the prisoners will be studied through monitoring. 

The project agreements were signed on December 15 in the premises of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria. All three projects will be implemented in 2018. 

Funding the above-listed projects by the Embassy of Bulgaria is successful follow-up of its past support to the project of Human Rights Center. In 2015, Human Rights Center, with financial support of the Embassy of Georgia and in partnership with the Public Defender’s Office of Georgia, implemented the project - Monitoring Conditions of Juvenile and Female Prisoners in Georgian Penitentiary. The findings of the monitoring are presented in the report State of Women and Juvenile Prisoners in Georgia, 2015.

The press-release was prepared in the frame of the projects, which are implemented by Human Rights Center with the Bulgarian Development Aid.