On October 9-10, 2013, GYLA released statements about cases of Davit Kapanadze and Levan Korkotashvili. D. Kapanadze was visited by GYLA’s chairman while L. Korkotashvili held in Dusheti pre-trial detention isolator was visited by lawyer from GYLA’s office in Dusheti. These statement saying that information provided by the foregoing individuals suggested that police officers had possibly committed crime were based on their personal account of events. The statement called for investigation by the office of the prosecutor. 

On October 4 the Parliament of Georgia adopted a resolution on the “establishment of the State Constitutional Commission” for revision of the existing Constitution (effective as of October 9). Speaker of the Parliament Davit Usupashvili was appointed as the chairman of the commission. Under the resolution, the commission will be manned by politicians as well as chairpersons of the Constitutional and Supreme Courts as well as Adjara A/R Supreme Council, the public defender, the Minister of Justice, secretaries of the president and the parliament of Georgia, chairperson of the bar association, and “no more than 20 experts-specialists of public policy and public administration, including NGOs specializing in the field.” The Commission should submit draft Constitutional law to the parliament of Georgia until September 1, 2014. GYLA welcomes the initiative. There are a number of gaps in the existing Constitution, first and foremost related to the existing model of checks and balances. It is highly important to address the issue, as it would impact lives of every individual and the future of the country.  

On October 9, Levan Korkotashvili’s family members applied to GYLA and alleged that on October 8, law enforcement representatives from old Tbilisi department of MIA No. 4 detained L.Korkotashvili for illegal procurement-storage of drugs. In the moment of detention he was beaten severely and sustained various bodily injuries. Now he is placed in Dusheti temporary detention isolator, where his health condition is critical and requires immediate medical intervention.  

On September 24, 2012 the Central Election Commission adopted resolution determining the rule of photo-video recording at the polling stations on the election day. The resolution stipulates following restrictions on the polling station:

- If an individual authorized to be in the polling station is moving with a camera or leaves the building, he/she is deprived of the opportunity to re-enter the polling station and implement photo-video recording;  

We would like to voice our position on the developments at the session of Interagency Commission for Free and Fair Elections held on October 11, 2013 when the United National Movement made a decision on leaving the commission. Some of the observers who attended the meeting confirm   verbal altercation between UNM member and the head of the commission. According to them MP Tinatin Bokuchava accused Tsulukiani of trying to “destroy” the United National Movement while the Minister of Justice responded that they have already done it.  

We, the undersigned organizations, would like to express our position on some of the legal issues related to the Khudoni hydropower plant (Khudoni HPP) project as well as to raise our concerns over the recent developments. 

On October 21, 2013 GYLA held presentation of its next research “Procedures of Vehicles’ Procurement in Public Agencies”. The research proposes information about national and international practice of vehicles’ procurement in public agencies. 

The research reviews cases of vehicles’ procurement and free transfer or gifting in the period of January 1, 2011 - July 2013 individually by the administration of the President, the parliament, government chancellery, all ministries in Georgia and offices of the state ministers, as well as by local self-governing bodies of Tbilisi, Batumi, Kutaisi, Poti and Rustavi.  

On October 4, 2013 the Parliament of Georgia adopted the draft police law by the third reading (the document has not been published yet). 

The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association presented the results of its monitoring of criminal cases in Tbilisi and Kutaisi City Courts on October 22, 2013. The court monitoring by GYLA is funded by USAID though the Judicial Independence and Legal Empowerment Project (JILEP) implemented by the East-West Management Institute.   

Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association presented its monitoring report of pre-election period. The report covers the monitoring results in the period of July-September 2013. During the three months period GYLA conducted monitoring in Tbilisi and seven regions - Kakheti, Shida Kartli, Kvemo Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Imereti, Adjara and Ozurgeti.