The year 2015 has seen significant challenges in terms of protection of and respect for human rights. In parallel with specific cases and trends that deserve a negative assessment, it is a problem that the State failed to achieve the political neutrality, independence and effectiveness of institutions that are vital for the effective exercise of rights – the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), the Prosecutor’s Office, and the judiciary, despite certain steps taken in this direction. The impact of informal governance and insufficient respect for the principle of secularism also remain important challenges. 

On December 13, 2014, the company RMG-Gold illegally exploded ancient gold mine of Sakdrisi-Kachagiani located in Bolnisi Municipality. The explosion resulted in irreversible damage of the archeological site. In another statement in reaction to the explosion, we state the following: 

On December 2, 2015, legal affairs committee of the parliament of Georgia voted down the bill initiated by the Gender Task Force for Women’s Political Participation on June 10, 2015. The legislative proposal introduced 50% gender quota for proportional party lists in parliamentary and local self-government elections, in order to ensure at least 25% women representation in the parliament of Georgia and increase number of women in Sakrebulos (local councils). 

GYLA will launch a new media project to promote development of free media environment in Georgia. Within the project, GYLA will systematically study acts of interference in journalistic reporting and media activities and evaluate state’s response to these interferences. In special cases GYLA will provide legal aid to journalists and media organizations. 

On September 17, 2014, Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association and the European Human Rights Advocacy Center lodged a case Tedliashvili and others v Georgia in the European Court of Human Rights on behalf of Kakhaber Tedliashvili’s family members (his parents and a small daughter). On November 24, 2015, the European Court delivered its judgment, published on its website on December 17, 2015. Based on a unilateral declaration made by the Government of Georgia, the European Court stuck the case Tedliashvili and others v Georgia out of the list of cases of the court.

On November 24, 2015, the European Court of Human Rights delivered a judgment in relation to the case of Egizaryan v Georgia. The decision was published on the website of the European Court on December 17, 2015. The applicant in the case was represented by the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association and the European Human Rights Advocacy Center (EHRAC). With its judgment the Court struck the case out of the court’s list of cases.

The Coalition for an Independent and Transparent Justice was closely observing the process of selection of candidates for the 61 vacant judicial positions taking place at the High Council of Justice. We would like to voice our findings and once again indicate the significant gaps revealed during the interviews with the candidates. On the one hand, these gaps make the judicial selection process unreliable and on the other hand, they raise important questions on whether the process is objective and free of political bias.   

On December 22, 2015, Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association presented a research on Unregulated Secret Public Procurement. The research identified a few important circumstances: