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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.

On the night of 7 July 2011, individuals in civil clothes detained 5 photo-reporters at their homes without any warnings or explanation.

“More efforts are needed to address serious shortcomings in the judiciary and increase its transparency and fairness” said the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, releasing today a report on the visit to Georgia 18-20 April 2011. The report focuses on the level of protection of human rights in the justice system in Georgia.

According to data provided by Georgia’s Social Service Agency, 89 cases of violence against children were reported over the period of January 2010 to November 2010. 74 of these cases were reported by the police, 12 cases were reported by children, family and NGO’s and 3 cases were reported by school officials. Of these cases, the types of violence varied; in 38 of the cases, psycho-emotional violence was reported; physical violence (33 cases); neglect (14 cases), and there were four cases reported of attempted sexual abuse. However, these numbers only represent the actual cases of abuse that were reported to the social service agency, it is thought that the real numbers are much higher.

The new amendments to the Law on the Operative-Investigative Activity of Georgia, adopted in September of 2010 raise concerns regarding internet freedom in Georgia. The following provisions were added on September 24, 2010 to the Law: paragraph H (according to English alphabet) of part II of Article VII envisages obtaining information from communication networks and computer systems and installing relevant programs for this purpose and paragraph L (according to English alphabet): “monitoring of internet communications” – observing the open and closed internet communications in the global information network and participation in them.”

The Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF), the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) condemn the excessive use of force by the police against peaceful anti-government protest in Tbilisi on the night of 26 May 2011. Read the organisations’ joint letter of concern below and right.

The intermediate reports on the implementation of European Neighborhood Policy in 2010 were published on 26 May in Brussels. 12 country reports evaluate the progress made in the implementation of ENP Action Plan.

As a result of the dispersal of the 26 May demonstration in Tblisi, 4 persons died (1 policeman and 3 civilians), tens of civilians were injured and, according to the Young Lawyers’ Association, 48 people are considered to have disappeared.