Georgia’s Public Defender presents Human Rights Protection Report 2016

Today, on December 10 when the world observes Human Rights Day, Georgia’s Public Defender presented his 2016 report on human rights protection in Georgia.

The report said overall the year 2016 had not seen any dramatic deterioration or improvement in the human rights situation in Georgia however several acute problems remained regarding human rights violations.

Positive trends

Georgia's Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili said the Ombudsman's office had reported two well-documented cases of ill treatment in prison to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office.

Investigations into these cases were launched with the right intention; they were qualified as ill treatment and not as abuse of authority as it used to happen before,” said Nanuashvili.

What must be improved?

Georgia's Ombudsman said no visible improvement had been observed within the judiciary in the year 2016. 

He also noted the Public Defender's office had hoped an electronic system of distributing cases would be launched this year but this had not happened.

Other areas that needed improvement were:

• Reducing violence against women
• Reducing hate crime
• Addressing basic human rights violations in Georgia’s two Russian occupied regions
• Enforcing children’s rights
• Enforcing the Labour Code 
• Reducing ill treatment of detainees by police

Human Rights Day is observed every year on December 10. It commemorates the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1950, the Assembly passed resolution 423 (V), inviting all States and interested organisations to observe December 10 of each year as Human Rights Day.