Deputy Minister of Justice of Georgia Giorgi Dgebuadze took part in the 24th session of the Assembly of States Parties (ASP) to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), held in The Hague.

The Assembly opened on December 1 with a ceremonial event attended by the President of the International Criminal Court, Tomoko Akane, and the President of the Assembly of States Parties, Päivi Kaukoranta.

The Deputy Minister delivered a statement during the General Debate. In his address, Giorgi Dgebuadze reaffirmed Georgia’s cooperation with the International Criminal Court and emphasized the Court’s crucial role in combating international crimes.

He highlighted the ICC’s investigation into the crimes committed during the 2008 Russia–Georgia war, the importance of enforcing the Court’s decisions related to this investigation, and the need to safeguard the rights and interests of the victims.

The Deputy Minister also referred to the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the case of Georgia v. Russia (IV) concerning the ongoing occupation. He noted that the Court upheld the position of the Georgian government and consequently ordered the Russian Federation to compensate the affected Georgian citizens.

On the sidelines of the Assembly, the Deputy Minister held meetings with representatives of States Parties to the Rome Statute, judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court, and took part in legal discussions related to the Court’s activities.

The Ministry of Justice of Georgia hosted a delegation of the Republic of Tajikistan. The Georgian side introduced the guests to the steps taken in the fight against human trafficking and the progress achieved by Georgia.

During the meeting, the parties discussed Georgia’s four-pillar state policy against human trafficking and the role of the Interagency Council—chaired by the Minister of Justice—in ensuring its effective implementation. The conversation also covered Georgia’s progress reflected in international rankings and studies focused on anti-trafficking performance. In particular:

• According to the 2025 U.S. Department of State report, Georgia remains at the highest level for its anti-trafficking measures and has retained its position in the so-called Tier 1 category among 188 countries worldwide for the tenth consecutive year;
• The international organization Walk Free Foundation, responsible for the Global Slavery Index, ranked Georgia 14th out of 160 countries in its 2023 report, acknowledging the government’s effective steps in combating human trafficking;
• According to the 2025 evaluation report of the fourth monitoring round by GRETA (the Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings), the Georgian government has, in recent years, undertaken significant positive measures to strengthen legislative, institutional, and policy mechanisms in this field. These include simplifying procedures for compensating victims, enhancing the mandates of state agencies responsible for crime detection, and expanding capacity-building initiatives for professionals working in the anti-trafficking sector.

Minister of Justice of Georgia Paata Salia presented the Ministry’s priority areas to Murzalin Malik, the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Georgia.

The introductory meeting focused on mechanisms for protecting human rights, the state policy on public service delivery, reforms of the penitentiary and probation systems, and the integration of digital governance and innovative technologies into the Ministry’s operations.

The Minister of Justice invited the Kazakh delegation to participate in the UN Public Service Forum, which will be held in Tbilisi on 23–25 June 2026.

Deputy Minister of Justice Beka Dzamashvili and Head of the Special Penitentiary Service Giorgi Pataridze also took part in the meeting with the Kazakh Ambassador.

The Ministry of Justice of Georgia has signed a memorandum of cooperation with Hedera, one of the leading platforms in the global blockchain ecosystem, paving the way for the introduction of advanced digital technologies in the public sector.

During a meeting between the Minister of Justice of Georgia, Paata Salia, and representatives of Hedera, the parties discussed future avenues of cooperation, including the potential transfer of data from the National Agency of Public Registry to the blockchain network. This step aims to further strengthen the protection of property rights while enhancing transparency and the overall reliability of public services.

Hedera representatives were also briefed on the “smart contract” service implemented by the National Agency of Public Registry, as well as its development prospects. In this context, one of the key areas of interest is the tokenization of real estate, which would convert physical assets into digital units.

To move forward with the integration of these advanced technologies, the next phase involves the creation of joint working groups composed of experts from the Ministry of Justice and the National Agency of Public Registry. These groups will help transition the collaboration with Hedera into an active, operational stage.

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.

Deputy Minister of Justice Lana Morgoshia met with Kyrgyz Ambassador Maksat Mamitkanov to discuss prospects for future cooperation between the two countries in the areas of the rule of law and human rights protection.

During the introductory meeting, the Deputy Minister briefed the Ambassador on the Ministry of Justice’s priority areas. The discussion covered the development of public services, digital governance, as well as the penitentiary and probation systems. Lana Morgoshia highlighted the crucial role of digital innovations and digital governance in advancing these sectors.

She noted that Georgia is among the first countries to sign the Council of Europe Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights, Democracy and the Rule of Law — the first legally binding international treaty on artificial intelligence.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Lana Morgoshia invited the Ambassador to participate in the UN World Public Services Forum, which will take place in Tbilisi in June 2026.

The meeting was also attended by the heads of the National Agency of Public Registry, the State Services Development Agency, the Public Service Hall, the Digital Governance Agency, and the Chamber of Notaries.

Minister of Justice Paata Salia, together with Deputy Minister Beka Dzamashvili, met with the newly appointed Ambassador of France to Georgia, Olivier Courtois, to discuss prospects for bilateral cooperation in the field of justice.

During the introductory meeting, the Minister briefed the Ambassador on the key functions and priority areas of the Ministry of Justice. The conversation covered the development of public services, digital governance, and the penitentiary and probation systems.

Minister Salia expressed readiness to further strengthen the already productive cooperation between the two countries and invited Ambassador Courtois to the UN World Forum on Public Services, which will be hosted by Tbilisi in June 2026.

Olivier Courtois has been serving as the Ambassador of France to Georgia since September 2025.

The 6th Georgian-Armenian Legal Forum has concluded in Tbilisi. The outcomes of the two-day event were summarized by the Ministers of Justice of Georgia and Armenia.

At the closing session, participants agreed on an action plan and key directions for future cooperation, aimed at further strengthening interagency, sectoral, and strategic collaboration in the areas of human rights protection and the rule of law.

The Georgian-Armenian Legal Forum serves as a platform for experience-sharing and deepening cooperation between the Justice Ministries of the two partner states. Hosted alternately by Tbilisi and Yerevan each year, the forum brings together representatives from both countries to discuss current issues, existing challenges, and potential solutions.


The thematic sessions of this year’s forum focused on human rights protection, the development of digital services, the role of artificial intelligence in law and legal services, mediation, and other topical subjects.

As part of the forum, the Minister of Justice of Armenia was received by the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Kobakhidze, and a bilateral meeting took place between Paata Salia and Srbuhi Galian.

The Armenian delegation also visited the Tbilisi Public Service Hall and Women’s Penitentiary No. 5.