Georgia’s Special Investigation Service requests extension of remit to European Human Rights Convention cases
Georgia’s Special Investigation Service launched its duties in March 2022. Photo: Special Investigation Service press office
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Georgia’s Special Investigation Service, a recently established agency probing abuse of power at institutions, on Wednesday asked the country’s Parliament to extend its mandate and allow the body to look into all cases involving alleged violations of the European Convention on Human Rights.
In remarks to the state legislature, the agency suggested that it should not be limited to specific articles of the international convention protecting human rights and political freedoms in Europe, claiming the European Court of Human Rights and the Committee of Ministers could oblige the Service to re-investigate the cases also pertaining to other articles.
In response to the request, a working group of the Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee, set up earlier this year to ensure the institutional strengthening of the Special Investigation and the Personal Data Protection Services, held its first session later on Wednesday.
Along with the Personal Data Protection Service, the Special Investigation Service replaced the State Inspector Service - which had combined the responsibilities of the two offices before the ruling Georgian Dream party proposed its abolishment in December 2021 - starting in March, in a bid to “further strengthen personal data protection and ensure more effective investigation of alleged abuse of power cases”.
In its earlier move, the Georgian Dream Government launched the State Inspector Service back in 2018 to study alleged offences by law enforcement officers.
The Parliament of Georgia appointed Karlo Katsitadze and Lela Janashvili to lead the Special Investigation Service and Personal Data Protection Services respectively on Tuesday, with the two newly created agencies replacing the outgoing State Inspector Service.
The Georgian parliament’s Committee on Human Rights and Civil Integration has expressed support for Lela Janashvili, the candidate for the post of the Head of the Personal Data Protection Service, one of two new agencies launched to replace the outgoing State Inspector Service, on Friday.
Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili on Monday opened the first session of the selection commissions for picking chairpersons of the Special Investigation Service and Personal Data Protection Service, two agencies set to replace the outgoing State Inspector’s Service starting in March.
The first sessions of election commissions of candidates for the chairmanship of two new agencies: Special Investigation and Personal Data Protection services, replacing the State Inspector’s Service will be held today, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced earlier today.
The special investigative service of Georgia, a recently established agency probing abuse of power at institutions, is “actively involved” in the fulfilment of the European Union’s conditions for granting Georgia the membership candidate status, agency head Koka Katsitadze said on Monday.
The Georgian parliament on Wednesday adopted the amendments to the law on the special investigative service, increasing its investigative authorities, in the third reading with 80 votes in favour and one against.
Georgia’s Special Investigation Service on Wednesday said the country’s Prosecutor General’s Office had filed charges against a Russian citizen who injured a local reporter by intentionally driving a car into them in an incident last month.
Georgia’s Special Investigation Service, an agency probing abuse of power at institutions, on Wednesday announced the creation of its Section for Protection of the Rights of Victims.
Georgia’s Special Investigation Service on Friday said it had arrested one individual for an assault on a TV Pirveli journalist earlier this week.
Georgia’s Special Investigation Service on Friday said it had arrested one individual for an assault on a Formula TV channel cameraman earlier this month in the eastern Kakheti region.
A 31-year-old Turkish citizen has been arrested by the Special Investigative Service of Georgia for sending intimate photographs of his former partner to her relatives, the body said on Thursday.
Georgia’s Special Investigation Service has become a member of the European Partners against Corruption, an independent organisation aiming to develop police supervision mechanisms and effective systems of anti-corruption work, implement the best international practices among member institutions and strengthen cooperation.
Georgia’s Special Investigation Service has been authorised to investigate violations of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, known as the European Convention on Human Rights, Koka Katsitadze, the agency’s Chair, told the Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee on Monday.
Georgia’s Special Investigation Service has arrested an officer from the Security Police Department of the country’s Interior Ministry on charge of violence in the Akhaltsikhe municipality of southern Georgia.