NGOs condemn possible replacement of State Inspector's Service by two other agencies
The Georgian parliament adopted the law on the State Inspector’s Service on July 21, 2018, and the Service began operations on November 1, 2019. Photo: The State Inspector's Service/Twitter.
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A total of 17 NGOs have called on the Georgian government to ‘stop attacks on independent institutions’ following Georgian majoritarian MPs’ proposal to replace the State Inspector's Service, which investigates alleged offences committed by state officials and law enforcement agencies, with the Special Investigation and Personal Data Protection services.
Georgian Dream party MPs will submit a bill today in the parliament based on which the Special Investigation Service will be authorised to investigate offences committed by the authorities, while the Personal Data Protection Service will be responsible for monitoring personal data procession.
The NGOs stated that the State Inspector's Service has been praised for its ‘independence and impartiality’ by international partners, noting that the body needs to be strengthened instead of being replaced.
In particular, giving the agency more independence in conducting investigative actions, as well as increasing its competence and disseminating it to a wider circle of crimes and officials,” the statement reads.
The NGOs also stressed the importance of the involvement of civil society and representatives of the Inspector's Service in the process of working on the bill, adding that it ‘demonstrates the government's intent to influence an independent institution.’
State Inspector Londa Toloraia called the initiative of the MPs a 'punishment of the service for independence' earlier today, noting that she will protect the 'interests of the State Inspector's Service and the interests of each of its employees.' Photo: The State Inspector's Service/Facebook.
The State Inspector's Service, which is investigating the alleged physical assault on ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili during his transfer to Gldani prison hospital, fined the Georgian Justice Ministry and the Special Penitentiary Service 2,000 GEL earlier this month for the release of videos of the former president which contained personal data.
The Justice Ministry in response filed a lawsuit against the Inspector’s Service and the hearing of the case is scheduled for December 28.
The NGOs state that the body ‘quickly and effectively dealt with the facts of possible inhumane treatment of the third Georgian president.’
The Georgian parliament adopted the law on the State Inspector’s Service on July 21, 2018, and the Service began operations on November 1, 2019.
According to the bill, the State Inspector’s Service is assigned to conduct the investigations with the supervision of the Georgian Prosecutor's office.
The State Inspector’s Service has received a total of 5,523 notifications within two years with eight police officers having been found guilty.
The signatories to the statement are:
- Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF)
- Human Rights Centre (HRC)
- Institute for Democracy and Safe Development (IDSD)
- Media Development Fund (MDF)
- Democracy Research Institute (DRI)
- Sapari
- Rehabilitation Initiative for Vulnerable Groups (RIVG)
- Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA)
- Georgian Democracy Initiative (GDI)
- Transparency International Georgia (TI Georgia)
- Partnership for Human Rights (PHR)
- Governance Monitoring Centre (GMC)
- International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (ISFED)
- Social Justice Centre
- The Institute for Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI)
- Rights Georgia
- The Georgian Centre for Psychological and Medical Rehabilitation of Torture Victims (GCRT)
Ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party MP Mamuka Mdinaradze has stated that the GD has proposed splitting the State Inspector’s Service into two agencies because the investigative and personal data protection functions are ‘not compatible with each other.’
The United Nations Human Rights office has called on the ruling Georgian Dream party to withdraw a bill proposing to replace the State Inspector's Service with two new agencies.
Georgian majoritarian MPs have put forward a new bill which proposes replacing the State Inspector's Service with Special Investigation and Personal Data Protection services.
Georgia’s State Inspector’s Office, which studies alleged offences committed by law enforcement agencies and officers, has fined the country’s Justice Ministry and the Special Penitentiary Service 2,000 GEL for the release of videos of former president Mikheil Saakashvili in prison.
The State Inspector's Service of Georgia has launched an investigation into alleged 'inhumane treatment' of former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili who is currently in prison. In the course of the investigation, the Inspector's Service has questioned the Rustavi prison employee, who said that he was invited for questioning 'by mistake.'
The State Inspector’s Service will investigate the alleged physical assault on ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili when he was transferred to Gldani prison hospital on November 8. Saakashvili claims that prison staff verbally and physically abused him, saying ‘[they] dragged me to the ground and hit me several times in the neck.’
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has stated that a recent ruling Georgian Dream party backed initiative to divide the State Inspector’s Service into two new agencies will strengthen the bodies and provide them with more independence, transparency and rights.
US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan has stated that ‘there is no need to rush’ with adopting a bill proposing to replace the State Inspector's Service with two new agencies, calling on the Georgian parliament to slow down the process.
Acting Head of the EU Delegation to Georgia Asuncion Sanchez Ruiz has said that 'abolishing' the State Inspector's Service 'bears high risks' for the country's democracy.
The Georgian parliament has approved a bill to replace the State Inspector's Service with a Special Investigation Service and Personal Data Protection Service in March 2022.
Eighty-one MPs supported the amendments proposed by ruling Georgian Dream party MPs in its third and final reading in the 150-member legislative body.
The suspension of MP status for three opposition members arguably reduces pluralism and inclusiveness in the Georgian parliament, European Union Ambassador to Georgia Carl Hartzell said on Wednesday in response to the decision passed by the legislative body.