The Report of the Public Defender of Georgia
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versia i s r e v e l k o m 2016 THE REPORT OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER OF GEORGIA ON THE SITUATION OF PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS IN GEORGIA mdgomareobis Sesaxeb mdgomareobis da TavisuflebaTa dacvis dacvis TavisuflebaTa da saqarTveloSi adamianis uflebaTa uflebaTa adamianis saqarTveloSi damcvelis angariSi damcvelis saqarTvelos saxalxo saxalxo saqarTvelos 2016 S H O R T V E R S I O N THE REPORT OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER OF GEORGIA ON THE SITUATION OF PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS IN GEORGIA 2016 SHORT VERSION www.ombudsman.ge ON THE SITUATION OF PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS IN GEORGIA 1 This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. 2 THE REPORT OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER OF GEORGIA, 2016 (SHORT VERSION) CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 5 1. HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN CLOSED INSTITUTIONS (NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM) .......................................................................... 14 2. HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION IN THE DEFENCE FIELD ............................. 30 3. THE FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH THE LEGAL REQUESTS OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER ..................................................................................................... 38 4. PROHIBITION OF TORTURE, INHUMAN AND DEGRADING TREATMENT AND PUNISHMENT ....................................................................................... 39 5. THE RIGHT TO LIBERTY AND SECURITY ....................................................... 43 6. THE RIGHT TO A FAIR TRIAL ......................................................................... 47 7. RIGHT TO PRIVACY ........................................................................................ 52 8. FREEDOM OF THOUGHT, CONSCIENCE AND RELIGION ............................ 54 9. PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF ETHNIC MINORITIES AND CIVIL INTEGRATION ................................................................................................ 58 10. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION .......................................................................... 60 11. FREEDOM OF ASSEMBLY AND MANIFESTATION ........................................ 62 12. RIGHT TO EQUALITY ..................................................................................... 64 13. RIGHT TO VOTE ............................................................................................. 69 14. RIGHT TO PROTECT CULTURAL HERITAGE .................................................. 71 15. RIGHT TO WORK ........................................................................................... 72 16. RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT ........................................................ 73 17. RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE ............................................................................... 76 18. SITUATION OF THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD ................................................. 78 19. GENDER EQUALITY ....................................................................................... 85 20. HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ................. 96 21. LEGAL SITUATION OF RIGHTS OF OLDER PERSONS ................................... 104 22. RIGHT TO ADEQUATE HOUSING .................................................................. 106 23. RIGHT TO SOCIAL SECURITY ........................................................................ 108 24. RIGHTS OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS – IDPS ............................... 110 ON THE SITUATION OF PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS IN GEORGIA 3 25. HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION OF CONFLICT-AFFECTED PERSONS ............... 114 26. SITUATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ECO-MIGRANTS .......................................... 120 27. REPATRIATION OF PERSONS FORCEFULLY SENT INTO EXILE FROM THE SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA BY THE FORMER USSR IN THE 1940s ........................................................................................................ 122 28. SITUATION OF THE RIGHTS OF MIGRANTS ................................................... 124 29. RIGHTS OF ASYLUM SEEKERS, REFUGEES AND HUMANITARIAN STATUS HOLDERS .......................................................................................................... 125 30. RIGHT TO PROPERTY ...................................................................................... 130 4 THE REPORT OF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER OF GEORGIA, 2016 (SHORT VERSION) INTRODUCTION This document is the report by the Public Defender of Georgia on the protection of hu- man rights and freedoms in Georgia in 2016. The document has been developed under Article 22.1 of the Organic Law of Georgia on the Public Defender and submitted to the Parliament of Georgia. The Report reviews a wide spectrum of human rights, emphasising the positive and nega- tive trends identified in the reporting period. Furthermore, it brings together the key rec- ommendations made by the Public Defender for the various branches of the government. The Public Defender of Georgia welcomes the statutory approval of the procedure for the parliamentary control of hearing and fulfilment of the Public Defender’s recommenda- tions. This was accomplished by the eighth Parliament of Georgia in the reporting period through an amendment made to the Rules of the Parliament. However, the Parliament of Georgia should not be making selective choices among the recommendations made by the Public Defender and modify them in the parliamentary resolution. It could so happen that some of the most critical recommendations directed to the Government of Georgia and aimed at securing a higher standard of human rights protection were not displayed in the parliamentary resolution. This will in turn weaken the parliamentary control of the ex- ecutive. It is desirable that the Parliament of Georgia reproduced the recommendations, in the way they were presented in the Report, in the resolution taken after the hearing of the Public Defender’s Report. In the reporting period, the number of applications lodged with the Public Defender’s -Of fice continued to be high. In 2016, 8827 applications/appeals were received, which shows both awareness about the Public Defender among the population and their heightened expectations from this institution. In the reporting period, there were incidents where several state agencies, including the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia and Tbilisi City Court, failed to submit the informa- tion and materials requested by the Public Defender. The absence of the data processed in the form as requested by the Public Defender was the reason cited for the failure. This is evaluated as a wrong practice. Such approach, apart from amounting to breach of law, significantly hampers the activities of the Public Defender. In the course of 2016, the Georgian authorities, stemming from the obligations, undertak- en at international and national levels, continued reforms in the justice system and law enforcement bodies. However, there are still numerous challenges such as the absence of effective mechanism for civic monitoring of the security system. Within the third wave of the justice reforms, the Parliament adopted, with a significant delay, the law providing for one of the key recommendations of the Public Defender on introducing electronic case-management in the court system. However, this provision will be enforced only from 2018. ON THE SITUATION OF PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS IN GEORGIA 5 In the reporting period, considerable criticism was expressed concerning the legislative amendments adopted that could undermine the Constitutional Court’s prompt and effec- tive functioning.1 The Plenum of the Constitutional Court declared a number of legislative amendments as unconstitutional2, which is positively assessed. In 2016, the Public Defender proposed to the Parliament of Georgia and the State Con- stitutional Commission to extend the authority of the Constitutional Court. According to the initiative of the Public Defender, as an exception, within a year after the enforcement of the law at stake, it would be possible to appeal legally binding judgments of the courts of general jurisdiction before the Constitutional Court of Georgia. This would, in a way, reflect the public demand for restoration of justice. However, the Parliament of Georgia limited its deliberations to a parliamentary committee and the Public Defender’s proposal was not followed up further. At this stage, neither the draft law of the Constitutional Com- mission contains a positive feedback on the issue. The imposition of the undertaking not to divulge information on the defence by the Office of the Chief Prosecutor of Georgia in so-called Cyanide Case, whereas the prosecution it- self made public various details of the case, should be assessed as a breach of the equality of arms. The Public Defender welcomes the amendments made to the Imprisonment Code, under which, as of 1 September 2016, the Public Defender/Special Preventive Group may take photos in penitentiary establishments. The Public Defender positively assesses the decrease in the total number of accused/con- victed persons3 in the reporting period. However, this number is still high in comparison to the average European indicators. It is important that the penal policy of the country should be aimed, to the maximum degree, at using non-custodial measures, rehabilita-