Web Portal on Human Rights in Georgia
JUSTICE
2008-04-29
Police Breached the Rights of MP Candidate and a US Citizen
Lasha Chkhartishvili, Irakli Kakabadze and other members of the Egalitarian Institute (EI) who were arrested on April 23, were released the same day. Lawyers claim that Chkhartishvili and Kakabadze were arbitrarily detained because one of them took part in the ballot for majoritarian membership in the Parliament and the second is a US citizen.2008-04-23
Five Members of Equality Institute Arrested
2008-04-23
A Step Backwards: Judge Konstantine Kublashvili’s Order?
A commission was set up based on the resolution passed by the Chairperson of the Georgian Supreme Court. The Commission published “Guidelines and Recommendations”. Various lawyers think that these recommendations are intended to circumvent Georgian law.2008-04-23
Political Motivated Spike in Murder Rate in East Georgia
Based on the official the statistics of the Prosecutor General’s Office the actual number of registered crimes has been significantly reduced. Moreover, it is officially reported that the number of grave and (especially grave crimes) has been very much reduced. In the same line of reporting, the number of solved crimes has actually increased. A total of 1,960 cases grave crimes were registered in November of 2006; 2007, 1 012 crimes were registered, which is through the month of November. The Prosecutor General’s Office reported that the number of grave offenses was also reduced in 2008. However, in spite of all the good news, such figures have not been confirmed by the experts who should know best.2008-04-23
Skinny Hunger-Striking Lawyer Arrested
“The detention is designed to our activities, end the protest, and block our struggle for freedom and to put back to sleep those lawyers who are now aware of the problems that we face. In spite of the fact that I am now sitting prison, or even if I was outside; I will still continue struggling in the effort to prove that my arrest is a completely stupid scenario and was designed as a provocation against us,” stated Malkhaz Jangirashvili, lawyer who was arrested on April 21st and now sits in a preliminary detention isolator cell. 2008-04-22
Lawyers against Legislation Amendments
On January 17 2008 amendments were introduced to the
Georgian Procedural Code. The new edition of the Article II, Paragraph
V states the following: “Court shall not accept the suit from the
administrative body unless the petitioner has had the opportunity to
bring the administrative suit to the court only once, which has been
envisaged under the General Administrative Code.” Lawyers aver that
such amendments restrict their freedom to bring appeal cases to the
court, and claim that the Georgian Constitution, as well as standards
of international law is being circumvented, under the various
amendments.
2008-04-18
Police from Zugdidi Beat Sixty-Four-Year-Old Woman
Officers of the Zugdidi Department of the Interior Ministry beat Turfa Gvalia when she tried to find out why her son was detained. The police arrested the woman on a charge of hooliganism after she quarreled with them. According to the Zugdidi District Court’s decision Turfa Gvalia and her son were released from the court room on the same day on April 13 and administratively fined, Now Turfa Gvalia demands damages and that a medical examination be made of her state of health that as a direct result of the beating, and that a criminal investigation be launched against the responsible policemen. She wants them to be held fully accountable under the law. Otherwise she intends to start a hunger-strike in front of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office and to renounce Georgian citizenship.2008-04-18
Georgian Justice “Goes to the Dogs” -- “Hanging” Judiciary System
“I know you are innocent but I cannot help you, sorry. I advise you only one, never let the life to make you into a cruel person,” suggested Ivane Afridonidze, the Judge at the Kutaisi Appeal Court to Giorgi Tskhakaia, who was accused of robbery. The Appeal Court did not amend the initial verdict passed by the Tskaltubo District Court, and now Tskhakaia has been sentenced to nine-year-imprisonment for the crime he did committed.2008-04-17
Video Patrol vs. Human Rights
“Thanks to the patrol police,” – a phrase which has
become famous after various TV projects were initiated by the Georgian
Ministry of Internal Affairs. However, very often we have heard how
citizens are shout “do not shoot me with the camera” when the press
service department of the Ministry prepares the latest action-packed TV
program.
We tried to find out whether human rights are breached when a person is caught on film without his/her permission even if s/he is a suspect being sought or arrested by patrol police.
2008-04-16
Lawyers Suppressed Everywhere in Georgia, Regions too!
Recently, demonstrations of the lawyers in the capital and the one-month hunger strike of Malkaz Jangirashvili, the lawyer who wanted to draw public attention to the plight of justice in Georgia. Human Rights Centre interviewed lawyer Kakha Maghradze in order to find out the plight of attorneys in the Akhaltsikhe District.2008-04-11
Investigation Opens: High Ranking Official from Special Operative Department
The Prosecutor General’s Office ordered the Kakheti Region al Prosecutor’s Office to start an investigation against of high-ranking official of the Special Operative Department (SOD) based on published newspaper materials. A former official is accused of being involved in drug-dealing. The criminal case was launched under the Criminal Code Article 332, professional malfeasance negligence. The Prosecutor’s Office interrogated several people as witnesses. It is quite possible that Davit Legashvili, the head of the Kakheti Regional Department of the SOD will be arrested within the next several days.2008-04-11
Regime of Pink Terror: Member of the Egalitarian Institute Arrested in Batumi
On March 30 Jano Rizhvadze, member of the Egalitarian Institute and five other Georgian citizens were detained in Batumi. Members of the non-governmental organization told during a recent press conference that they consider that the real reason for their detention was because of their membership in the Egalitarian Institute.[1] 2
OTHER NEWS
Chairman of Parliament Talked About the Activities Security Members
Ministry of Internal Affairs Is Going To Buy Supervisory Videos Carrying On Bodies
Instances of pressure exerted on individuals detained on the Case of the Ministry of Agriculture need to be investigated
Trial on Former Head of Kakheti CSD Laliashvili
Cars of Eco-Migrants from Tsalka Fined
Archive
BLOG
Historic Review of Georgian Political Advertisement
In 2005, American researchers estimated that political advertisements on TV have short (two-week) impact on voters. But the result is so rapid andDetailed...
Pre-election Advertisement Promises
Quality and Purpose of Political Advertisements
EDITORIAL
Human Rights Center to Monitor Trials on Former Senior Governmental Officials
How the detention process of former senior officials is going on; whether political motivation is detected in it and will the new initiativeDetailed...
As a result of international oppression, State Audit Office and National Bureau of Enforcement postponed the repressions
The August war- who is guilty?
POLL
How do you think, did the political prisoners, released by the Parliament of Georgia short time ago, deserve freedom?