A new report from the International Center for Transitional Justice, “Assessing the Prospects for Transitional Justice in Georgia,” highlights the gross abuse of public power committed under the Saakashvili administration’s “Zero-Tolerance Policy” on corruption and organized crime from 2004 to 2012. Since those violations came to light, the government, led by the Georgian Dream coalition, has made some attempts to deal with this dark chapter in Georgia’s past – but efforts have been neither effective nor serious. A clear vision of how to move forward has yet to be presented by the government or civil society.
The report encourages Georgians to consider taking formal steps to address the country’s difficult past. Among its suggestions are holding a national dialogue to discuss and gather ideas from the public, collecting data on reported abuses, establishing an independent agency to reach out to victims, and remedying miscarriages of justice, including through prosecutions. It argues that while conditions in Georgia may not be totally ripe for a transitional justice process, conditions are unlikely to ever be perfect. Waiting too long, it warns, may lead to more abuses and conflict in the long run.
