Over the years, abuse of power and ill-treatment have been serious problems in Georgia’s law enforcement system and penitentiary institutions. Using disproportional force during public demonstrations, obtaining statements through inhuman and degrading treatment, and torture at prisons, detention facilities, and police divisions were
well-accepted practices in the country. The inadequate reaction from the state further reinforced the problem of ill-treatment and abuse of power, such as delaying evidence collection, conducting one-sided and formalistic investigations, holding back the prosecutions, and not releasing final decisions. State’s failed response significantly exacerbated the problem of impunity in the system. Consequently, the establishment of an independent investigative mechanism for complaints against law enforcement officials is one of the key issues in the Association Agenda between the European Union and Georgia.
AUTHOR:
Guram Imnadze – On behalf of the Coalition for an Independent and Transparent Judiciary