The Daily Beat: 19 December
In a December 19 Decision, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Russia bears responsibility for the killing of Giga Otkhozoria, who was fatally shot on Tbilisi-controlled territory by Abkhazia occupation forces. The ECHR ordered the respondent state to pay the applicants a total sum of EUR 130,000 for non-pecuniary damage and EUR 9,265 for costs and expenses.
In another case of O.J. and J.O v. Georgia, the ECHR also ruled that Russia violated the rights of two Georgian men during their unlawful detention in the occupied territory of Abkhazia, ordering Russia to compensate EUR 16,000 to each applicant. In its decision, the court once more upheld the opinion that Russia continues to exercise “effective control” over Abkhazia, bearing the responsibility for the violations of the European Convention therein.
NATO Special Representative for the South Caucasus and Central Asia, Javier Colomina, is visiting Georgia, where he met with the country’s political leadership and the opposition representatives. According to the official press releases, the meetings were largely focused on regional security challenges, defense and security reforms, and the enhanced Substantial NATO-Georgia Package (SNGP) implementation. “Georgia remains firm in its commitment towards NATO and EU membership. We hope that NATO support towards Georgia will become as tangible as possible,” tweeted Speaker Papuashvili after the meeting.
The German Minister of Interior and Community, Nancy Feaser, and her Georgian counterpart, Vakhtang Gomelauri, signed a bilateral Agreement on Migration and Mobility to fight illegal migration and bolster collaboration in various fields, including labor migration. According to the Interior Ministry, during the visit of the German delegation to Georgia, the ministers discussed the deepening of bilateral cooperation with particular emphasis on the fight against illegal migration and organized crime.
The Venice Commission released its opinion on Georgia’s anti-corruption legislation, outlining that “the current institutional design does not provide for a sufficient degree of independence of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).” In its opinion, the Commission also highlighted the need for additional legal safeguards to ensure ACB’s better functioning and considered the Prime Minister’s powers to appoint and dismiss the head of the ACB as “particularly problematic.”
The Data of the Day
The National Statistics Office released preliminary data indicating the increase of Georgia’s foreign trade by 14.7%, totaling USD 19.6 billion, in January-November 2023, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. According to National Statistics data, exports from Georgia increased by 11.1% to USD 5.6 billion, while imports rose by 16.1% to USD 14 billion. In the same period, Turkey was Georgia’s largest trade partner with $2.7 billion in trade volume, followed by Russia with $2.2 billion, United States with $1.85 billion, China with $1.5 billion, and Azerbaijan with $1.37 billion.
