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Wednesday, 26 March, 2025
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The Interagency Council for Combating Human Trafficking Convenes at the Ministry of Justice

The Interagency Coordination Council for Combating Human Trafficking held a meeting at the Ministry of Justice to assess ongoing efforts in the fight against human trafficking. During the session, the Council reviewed the implementation report of the 2023-2024 Action Plan and approved the 2025-2026 Action Plan.

The new action plan was developed based on recommendations from Council member agencies and international organizations. Its primary objectives include preventing human trafficking, enhancing crime detection mechanisms, protecting and assisting victims, and strengthening international cooperation.

Deputy Minister of Justice, Beka Dzamashvili chaired the meeting, which brought together representatives from member state agencies, including various ministries, the Prosecutor’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office, as well as representatives from the U.S. Embassy, the EU Delegation to Georgia, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD).

Notably, according to the U.S. State Department, Georgia continues to rank at the highest level in its efforts to combat human trafficking, maintaining its position in the "Tier 1" category for the ninth consecutive year.

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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.