On July 12, a public discussion was held dedicated to the creation of an independent investigative mechanism aimed at increasing the efficiency of investigating crimes committed by law enforcement agencies. The public discussion was held upon the initiative of Open Society Georgia Foundation (OSGF).
The mechanism envisages the establishment of an agency that will be completely independent from law enforcement agencies and the government. It will be free from political influence and will be accountable only to the Parliament. Such model will, on the one hand, reduce the alarming statistics of uninvestigated crimes committed by law enforcers, and on the other, it will promote the restoration of public trust towards law enforcement agencies.
The participants of the public discussion also touched upon the bill developed by the Ministry of Justice envisaging the creation of a new department under the Georgian prosecutor’s office. The participants claimed that such change would not respond to the main criticism voiced against the law enforcement agencies on conducting independent and effective investigation.
The Georgian Public Defender and civil society organizations also focused on the alarming statistics of torture and inhumane treatment. In particular, over 90 cases were revealed during the last few years, in which citizens accused law enforcers of inhumane treatment. All these cases were transferred to the Georgian prosecutor’s office, but the perpetrators of these crimes have yet to be brought to justice. There are frequent cases of improper qualification of cases, delays in investigation and refusal to grant a victim status.
Against this background, it is crucial to create an independent and impartial agency. It is especially important for the Government and the Parliament of Georgia to take measures in order to set up a practically and institutionally independent agency and to discuss the bill developed by civil society organizations.
