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The infrastructure development projects have been launched in Gonio, Svaneti, Anaklia and the surrounding areas of Black Sea since the Georgian government announced the mentioned areas as tourism zones. Actually, tourism development creates the perspective for country’s economic development, but in Georgia, it was proceeded with violations of property rights. In 2010, in Gonio, 271 people were deprived from their property. In Mestia (Zemo Svaneti region), the process of land expropriation or refusal of the registration is still going on whilst the process has been completed in Anaklia.

230 Pills of Subutex “Found” on Passengers Traveling from Strasbourg.

Prisoner Mamuka Zerekidze died in Rustavi Prison # 6 on August 16. The prison administration told the family he died of electroshock. The Ministry of Corrections and Legal Aid has not released any official versions about Zerekidze’s death yet.

Four photo-reporters charged with espionage were released from the courtroom on July 22. Tbilisi City Court sustained the prosecution’s motion to approve the plea bargain deal with the photo-reporters as they pleaded guilty. In the end the court found them guilty of espionage, in particular Zurab Kurtsikidze has been sentenced to a three-year trial period, Natia Gedenidze received a year and a half’s trial period and Irakli Gedenidze and Giorgi Abdaladze have received two four-year trial periods.

In Georgia, the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment is enshrined in both national legislation and international obligations. Even so, all of these still occur in Georgia. Human rights defenders particularly point to ‘the impunity syndrome,’ which also results in ineffective investigation. The report of the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment on the visit to Georgia in 2010, also annual reports of the Georgia’s Public Defender, notably the 2010 Report, highlights the same problem.

Georgian Civil society representatives call upon the Government of Georgia to guarantee the right to a fair and public trial for the detained photographers and to carry out an impartial and transparent investigation in accordance with international human rights law.

18 July, 2011 – Paris, Geneva, Oslo, The Hague, London – We, international human rights organizations, call on the Government of Georgia to guarantee the right to a fair and public trial for the detained photographers and to carry out an impartial and transparent investigation in accordance with international human rights standards.

On June 8, 2011, the Human Rights Council adopted Georgia’s first report under the Universal Periodic Review process. As a result of the review process, on January 28 of this year, Georgia received 163 recommendations, 139 of which were accepted (26 partially) and 27 were rejected.

Sergey Chirikov: “We are ready to prove everybody that our photographer’s activities were not criminal at all”

Tbilisi City Court passed a two month preliminary imprisonment against three detained photo reporters. The lawyers requested not to use the imprisonment as a preliminary compulsory measure, but the judge satisfied the request of prosecution and left them under custody. The trial is scheduled for 1 September.