Civil society organizations voiced concerns regarding the detentions of 16 individuals in Tbilisi and Batumi, as well as dismissals of public servants. CSOs emphasized signs of violations and political persecution, and said they are collaborating with international organizations to provide all necessary documentation.
During a briefing on the subject on January 13, Eka Gigauri, Executive Director of Transparency International – Georgia, detailed significant violations in the court proceedings of January 10-11. Gigauri outlined the actions of Tbilisi City Court judges Ketevan Jachvadze and Irakli Khuskivadze, who ruled to keep 19 individuals in custody despite numerous procedural flaws. The prosecutors in both cases were Giorgi Mukbaniani and Vazha Todua. Key issues identified by the watchdog were:
- The prosecutors had unsubstantiated positions, and none of them could present evidence that would justify imprisonment as a preventive measure for the prisoners;
- Judges publicly took a stance before the hearings;
- Violations of the principle of publicity took place, despite significant public interest in the case. The hearing room was only changed once after a 19-year-old defendant, Miminoshvili, fainted due to poor air conditioning on the January 11 court hearing;
- Limitation of the right to legal defense was observed, as due to crowded hearing rooms, proper communication between lawyers and defendants was hindered. Gigauri noted that judges were aware of this issue but failed to address it.
Gigauri also addressed the ongoing protests in Batumi, stressing that arrested individuals had been denied immediate access to legal counsel and were reportedly subjected to physical and verbal abuse. In addition, she highlighted the case of Mzia Amaghlobeli, the director of the Batumelebi/Netgazeti newspaper, who faced “repressive measures” and had “her rights violated.” Materials related to her case were sent to over 20 international organizations dedicated to protecting journalists’ rights.
Nino Lomjaria, founder of the civic platform ‘Georgia’s European Orbit,’ spoke out about “ongoing repressions” in Georgia’s public service. Lomjaria revealed that dozens of civil servants have been “dismissed on political grounds”, despite the fact that in most cases “the formal basis is the expiration of the contracts.” “In fact, those civil servants who signed the protest statement of the relevant service and demanded the protection of Article 78 of the Constitution, or participated in protests or publicly, including on social media, criticized the violence committed by the state against peaceful protesters, were dismissed,” she said.
Lomjaria stressed that CSOs are actively working to reveal the list of individuals involved in “political persecution of civil servants on discriminatory grounds” and provided a list of government bodies that have already implemented these changes:
- National Agency of Public Registry of Ministry of Justice of Georgia
- Tbilisi City Hall’s Public Communications Agency
- Tbilisi City Hall Transport and Urban Development Agency
- National Agency for Crime Prevention
- National Probation Agency
- Central Election commission
- Ajara Tourism and Transport Department
- Parliament of Georgia
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- House of Justice
- Public Safety command center 112
- Rustavi Municipality
- Adigeni Municipality
- National Agency of State Property
- Administration of the Government of Georgia
- Ministry of Internal Affairs
- LEPL Levan Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau
- Legal Aid Service
- Personal Data Protection Service
- Mestia Municipality Youth Self-Government
Pro-European protests erupted in Georgia after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze’s decision to halt the country’s EU integration efforts. In response, part of civil servants publicly voiced their opinions, advocating for the enforcement of Article 78 of Georgia’s Constitution and called for the country’s continued path toward EU membership. Amid these protests, Georgian Dream (DG) Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze claimed that the system was undergoing a “self-cleansing” process and vowed that the ruling party would complete it. In the midst of these developments, amendments to the public service law, aimed at simplifying the reorganization process, were rapidly discussed and passed in the GD Parliament on December 13, in an expedited manner. The law went into effect after President Mikheil Kavelashvili signed it on December 29, coinciding with what are alleged to be immediate dismissals of civil servants.
Also Read:
- 12/01/2025 – Batumelebi/Netgazeti Director Investigated on Criminal Charges
- 11/01/2025 – Judge Remands Eight Protesters in Custody, Sparking Outcry
- 10/01/2025 – Court Remands in Custody 11 Protesters as Supporters Rally Outside
- 23/12/2024 – CSOs Decry Abuses in Georgia’s Criminal Justice System, Call for Accountability
- 10/12/2024 – CSOs Joint Statement Condemning Arrests, Torture, and Repression in Georgia