Web Portal on Human Rights in Georgia

By midday on February 18, 2013 an explosion occurred in front of the Kaspi police office. At about 6:00 pm police arrested Davit Gabodze, 29, walking in the street. Handcuffed suspect told journalists gathered in front of the police office that he had no idea what he was arrested for. Several hours later, he was accused of the participation in the explosion of that day.

At the March 19 briefing Georgian Minister of Interior Irakli Garibashvili stated that about 150 of the amnestied people under the Amnesty Law of December, 2012 were repeatedly arrested. A month later, Sozar Subari, Minister of Legal Aid and Corrections, increased the number up to 200.

Several employees of TELASI Company (Tbilisi Electricity Distribution Company) were questioned at the trial on the case of Nika Gvaramia, Aleksandre Khetaguri and several other people. They spoke about the agreement between L&M Service and TELASI.

Law is very strict about drug-addicts in Georgia. However, it could not resolve the problem. Experts state that as a result of this rigid policy number of drug-addicts increased and part of them started using more dangerous narcotic substances.

On April 17, 2013 Special Preventive Group under Public Defender of Georgia carried out ad hoc monitoring at the Penitentiary Establishment #8 within the framework of National Preventive Mechanism. 75 life sentenced inmates being on hunger strike were visited. The accused did not complain on their treatment at the Establishment #8. They objected the Law on Amnesty of December 28, 2012 as it alleviated the sentence of all accused except the life sentenced inmates.

Constitutional Court of Georgia upheld the constitutional lawsuit of Human Rights Center on the case Besik Adamia vs Parliament of Georgia. Hence, majoritarian candidates will not have to have 5 000 lari deposit to participate in the parliamentary elections.

Torture and abuse of prisoners before the change of government, shortfalls in the rule of law and lack of judicial independence, as well as obstacles to exercise freedoms of association and assembly particularly for opposition were the most important human rights problems reported in 2012, according to the U.S. Department of State’s annual human rights country report, released on April 19.

Batumi and Lazistan Eparchy of the Georgian Orthodox Church is deeply concerned about the incident between military servants and local inhabitants in Tsikhisdziri village. The statement was published on the official website of the Eparchy.

Tomorrow on April 18, at 2:30 pm Human Rights Center will hold press-conference about the decision of the Constitutional Court of Georgia which annulled the discriminative provision in the Article 116 Part VII of the Election Code of Georgia which set restrictions for the majoritarian candidate nominated by the initiative group.

Former judge of Gori District Court Kartlos Sulaberidze almost completely served his 4-year-imprisonment till 2012. He was twice arrested after Rose Revolution – first for professional negligence and then for the bribery of a witness.