The Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has detained five (5) employees of the Defense Ministry on October 28, 2014 and brought charges against them on the next day. The charges were brought under the sub-clauses “a” and “d” of the clause 2 and the sub-clause “b” of the clause 3 of the Article 182 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which cover appropriation and embezzlement of another person’s property in large quantities, by the group, through the preliminary agreement and through abusing official authority.  

Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) is the non-commercial legal person. We operate across the entire territory of Georgia in accordance with the Constitution, Legislation, and our own Statute. The organizational-legal form of GYLA is the union. 

Organizations participating in the Campaign “It affects you – we are still listened to” responded to the statement made by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, in which he expressed his discontent about so called “two-key system” offered by nongovernmental organizations. Irakli Garibashvili said: “In all three cases mobile operators are owned by foreign companies, and similar mechanism does not work in any other country, where state interests are protected”.

The convicts from the Facility #7 of the Law-Enforcement Department - A.S., R.B., M.G., G.Ch. and mother of the convict B.P. who has tuberculosis, have addressed the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association with the joint statement. The convicted individuals have been on hunger strike since September 18/2014 and up to date, requesting the state to ensure such conditions that would be adequate for the human dignity.

On October 28, the Chief Prosecution of Georgia has detained the high-level officials of the Ministry of Defense on the charges relating to the embezzlement of the 4’102’872 GEL from the state budget during the state procurements: former head of the state procurement department within the Defense Ministry – Gizo Ghlonti; head of the J-6 communications and informational technologies of the united headquarters of the armed forces of Georgia department – Nugzar Kaishauri; head of the division of the state procurement department – Giorgi Lobzhanidze; chief specialist of the state procurement department of the Defense Ministry – Archil Alavidze and the head of the division of the J-6 communications and informational technologies of the united headquarters of the armed forces of Georgia department – Davit Tsipuria. 

On October 31, 2014, draft law of Georgia on amendments to the law on Broadcasting and subsequent amendments to the laws on advertising and the state procurement was passed by the Parliament of Georgia with the third hearing. 

On October 31, President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili invoked his Constitutional power of veto for the first time and amendments to the law on electronic communications adopted the day before were returned to the Parliament with the President’s motivated objections.  

Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association and the Partnership for Human Rights presented a research “Analysis of the labor laws of Georgia – gender discrimination in employment and its legal consequences.” 

Non-governmental organizations participating in the campaign It Affects You Too deem the initiative of the legal affairs committee of the parliament to extend the work of the parliamentary task force for elaboration of legal amendments on secret phone surveillance to April 2015 completely unacceptable. The fact that the task force has not made final decision about the system of secret surveillance and phone tapping was cited as the reason for the postponement; however, the task force has not convened yet to make such final decision. 

Civil society organizations involved in the "This Affects You Too: They Are Still Listening" campaign are alarmed by the attitude that Georgian Parliament has taken towards addressing the issue of direct access to secret wiretapping.