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Monday, 29 September, 2025
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Interagency Task Force for Free and Fair Elections Holds Another Session at the Ministry of Justice

The Interagency Task Force for Free and Fair Elections (IATF) convened a session at the Ministry of Justice, the final meeting before the 2025 local elections. During the session, members reviewed and summarized the progress of the pre-election process.

It was highlighted that political parties and candidates were able to conduct campaign meetings and other activities in a free and fair environment. Based on the IATF’s work and media monitoring, no significant violations of electoral legislation by public officials were identified.

The Task Force also heard a report from Giorgi Sharabidze, Deputy Chairman of the Central Election Commission (CEC), on the measures undertaken by the agency. He noted that ballot printing has been completed and distribution across the regions is underway. According to the CEC, there are 3,513,818 registered voters. On Election Day, 3,061 polling stations will operate, including 2,284 electronic and the remainder traditional, while 10 polling stations will be set up in penitentiary institutions nationwide. Sharabidze also underlined the high level of civic engagement, with citizens checking their names on the electoral roll 600,784 times.

The IATF will reconvene following Election Day, on October 4.

Established under the Election Code, the Task Force is mandated to prevent violations of electoral legislation by public servants, ensure a timely response to potential incidents, and develop appropriate recommendations.

The Task Force is chaired by the Minister of Justice, Paata Salia, and includes senior representatives of various state institutions, ensuring coordinated and effective action.

Citizens may contact the IATF with information falling within its competence via email at iatf@justice.gov.ge or by hotline at (+995) 599 85 00 11.

The Interagency Commission will operate until the official publication of the final election results by the Central Election Commission and will hold sessions once a week.

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Strasbourg Court Declares Complaints on Independence and Impartiality of Supreme Court Judges of Georgia Inadmissible

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) upheld the legal position presented by Georgia’s Ministry of Justice and, based on the submitted evidence, declared the complaints in Pirtskhalava and Y v. Georgia and Goginashvili v. Georgia inadmissible.

In these applications, the complainants alleged that one of the judges of the Supreme Court who examined their cases was biased. Additionally, the applicants in Pirtskhalava and Y claimed that Judge Sh.T. had not been appointed in accordance with the law.

The ECHR accepted the arguments of the Ministry of Justice and declared all three complaints regarding judicial impartiality inadmissible. In its decision, the Strasbourg Court reviewed the reforms undertaken by the Georgian authorities since 2012 to improve the justice system. In particular, it highlighted reforms such as: lifetime judicial appointments, improvements in the procedures for the appointment and promotion of judges, strengthening the role and functional independence of the High Council of Justice, and constitutional amendments that further refined the selection and appointment procedures for Supreme Court judges.

It is worth noting that the ongoing legal proceedings against Irakli Pirtskhalava concern the criminal case related to the murder of Buta Robakidze. Pirtskhalava additionally alleged that his criminal trial had been unfair, arguing that he had not been given the opportunity to question his former co-defendants and other witnesses or effectively challenge the evidence. The Strasbourg Court found no indication of a violation of his right to a fair trial and therefore declared his additional complaints inadmissible as manifestly ill-founded.