The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, the Institute for the Development of Freedom of Information (IDFI), and Rights Georgia have submitted an alternative report under the OSCE Vienna Mechanism, addressing challenges related to the investigation of torture and ill-treatment of protest participants in Georgia since November 2024.
The Vienna Mechanism allows OSCE participating States to raise questions about human rights issues with other participating States. The mechanism was activated by 38 OSCE participating States in response to alarming human rights violations in Georgia. The questions directed to Georgia concern the effectiveness of investigations into rights violations related to protests and the measures taken to prevent similar incidents. GYLA also submitted an alternative report to the Vienna Mechanism on 21th January of 2025. The report focused on the shortcomings of investigations in light of the standards established by the European Court of Human Rights in relation to the events of 20th June, 2019.
The alternative report highlights key issues and challenges related to the credibility and effectiveness of the investigation. It examines the information disclosed by the Special Investigation Service in its public communications, annual report, and response to the memorandum of the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. The report notes that the Special Investigation Service, by referring to the number of individual investigative actions, seeks to create the illusion of an effective investigation.
The report highlights significant challenges, including the incorrect legal qualification of cases, the consolidation of numerous cases into a single proceeding, the failure to act on possible instances of destruction of important evidence, and the failure to carry out necessary investigative actions to identify personnel involved in the crackdowns on protests. It also remains unclear whether the Special Investigation Service has questioned any senior officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in connection with the violence.
It is noteworthy that an effective response has not been taken even in cases where the perpetrators were easily identifiable. For example, on 2 February 2025, footage showing Zviad Kharazishvili, the head of the Special Tasks Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, beating a protester was publicly disseminated by the media. GYLA called on the General Prosecutor to initiate criminal proceedings against Zviad Kharazishvili and to suspend him from his duties, however, these measures have not been taken to date.
Although, according to the Special Investigation Service, 85 individuals were granted victim status, it is noteworthy that this number does not reflect the true scale of the violence. Victim status was granted only to those who applied personally or through their lawyer, while individuals who did not submit such applications to the Prosecutor’s Office have not been granted victim status to date.
The author organizations of the report call on OSCE participating States to continue monitoring and investigating serious human rights violations in Georgia.
The alternative report is based on publicly available data, information obtained through the information requested by the reporting organizations, and the 2024 report of the Public Defender.
Read the full report:
IDFI's Statement on the Unlawful Imposition of the Fine on the Organization's Executive Director
12.02.2025
Subscribe to Our News
