There were reports of selective application of the law–crimes allegedly involving government officials or supporters were slowly investigated and often remained pending, while crimes allegedly involving persons or organizations linked to the opposition were investigated quickly and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. This imbalance led to allegations of impunity for government officials. There continued to be allegations of a lack of due process, government pressure on the judiciary, and that individuals remained in prison for politically motivated reasons. There were reports of pressure on businesses to suppress potential support for the opposition and independent media. There were reports of curbs on media freedom. There were some cases of restrictions on religious freedom and a lack of progress on religious issues. There were also reported cases of violations of the rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs) during some evictions in Tbilisi, and seniorlevel corruption in the government. Harassment of opposition and NGO members, prejudice against persons based on their sexual orientation and government interference with labor associations also were reported.
Ambassador John Bass comments on the report: “Georgia made important strengths this year, but there is still room for progress to better protect universal human rights for all Georgians. We remain concerned with reports of selective application of rule of law, lack of due process curbs on media freedom, harassments of opposition parties and non-governmental organizations’ members and government’s interference in labor associations. These trends are particularly concerning to us given our ministrations’ commitment to the engagement support and protection of civil society and human rights defenders. Secretary Clinton recently urged leaders and governments to treat civil society as partners not adversaries.”
The report mentions as well the positive changes in the country: Significant human rights achievements included: the implementation of a new Criminal Procedure Code with increased evidentiary standards and rights of the accused; amendments strengthening the Public Defender’s Office (human rights ombudsman/PDO); the construction of new prisons that met international standards; and the first direct election of the Tbilisi mayor.
To read the full report, please follow the link: http://georgia.usembassy.gov/latest-news/official-statements-2011/hrr2010.html
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