Special Investigation Service launches Section for Victims Rights Protection
Koka Katsitadze, the head of the Service, on Wednesday presented the initiative to NGOs, Public Defender’s Office. Photo: Special Investigation Service press office
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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.
The agency said the unit would facilitate “effective implementation” of its special protection programme launched last year to ensure safety of victims, and would ensure “additional guarantees” for the protection of the rights of potential victims.
The Service noted the new structure was also expected to facilitate the fulfilment of recommendations issued by the European Court of Human Rights “more effectively”.
The Special Investigation Service discussed the forthcoming structure with interested parties on Wednesday. Photo: Special Investigation Service
Koka Katsitadze, the head of the Service, on Wednesday presented the initiative to representatives of the country’s Public Defender's Office and non-governmental organisations for further discussion and recommendations.
The meeting came with the support of the joint initiative Human Rights for All - Phase 2 of the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Launched along with the Personal Data Protection Service, the Special Investigation Service replaced the State Inspector Service - which combined the responsibilities of the two offices before the ruling Georgian Dream party proposed its abolishment in December 2021.
The new institution has been in operation since March 2022 in a bid to “further strengthen personal data protection and ensure more effective investigation of alleged cases of abuse of power”.
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 Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) calls on the Georgian government to suspend the law abolishing the State Inspector Service, the agency investigating violations by authorities and law enforcement, Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria announced earlier today.
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.
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.
Georgia’s Special Investigation Service on Friday said it had arrested one individual for an assault on a TV Pirveli journalist earlier this week.
The Personal Data Protection Service of Georgia on Tuesday announced it had obtained observer status in the European Data Protection Board.
A senior inspector of the Kvemo Kartli Police Department of the Georgia’s Interior Ministry has been charged with harassment of a woman in the city of Rustavi near the country’s capital Tbilisi, the Special Investigation Service said on Monday.
The Special Investigation Service of Georgia on Tuesday said its investigative actions had led to 139 individuals being charged with crimes since the body’s founding in 2022.
The Special Investigation Service of Georgia on Monday said its investigative actions had led to 14 individuals being charged with disclosure of personal information of victims between August-October.
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.
Koka Katsitadze, the Head of the Special Investigative Service of Georgia, on Friday said the body’s investigative actions had led to 153 individuals being charged with crimes since the Service’s founding in 2022.
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.
The work of the Special Investigation Service of Georgia and cooperation with the Czech Republic were discussed on Wednesday in a meeting between Koka Katsitadze, the Head of the Service, and Petr Kubernát, the Czech Ambassador to the country.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Parliament's Human Rights Committee, on Friday said Georgia had joined the ranks of states in which the protection of personal data would be implemented at the “highest level, at the European level”.