The Ministry of Justice will finance the 17 best projects identified within the grant program.

Agreements with winning organizations and individuals were signed today.

The purpose of the competition is to strengthen the priority directions of the Ministry of Justice and to increase the participation and involvement of civil society throughout the system.

On October 20, the Ministry of Justice announced the grant program aimed at protection and strengthening of human rights, introducing innovative services and strengthening legal security. In total, 62 project applications have been submitted within the framework of the competition.

Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze and Deputies, Tornike Cheishvili and Erekle Gvinianidze attended the event.

The new Penitentiary Code improves the working conditions of the employees of the special penitentiary service and the legal status of persons in penitentiary institutions - it sets even higher standards for the protection of the rights of convicts and accused persons. In particular:

The accused person is granted the right to a long appointment; He will also have the opportunity to participate in various support programs;

The convict placed in a prison of special risk is granted the right of video dating;

The convict is given the opportunity to replace the date with another form of communication with the outside world (short date - video date, long date - short date, video date or phone conversation, family date - short date, video date or phone conversation);

All types of dating are completely free;

The currently set maximum number and duration of phone calls will be converted to a minimum number/duration. The Minister will be authorized to increase the number and duration of telephone conversations;

In the presence of special circumstances (birthday of a family member, birth of a child, etc.), the accused and convicted person may be granted the right to additional telephone conversation;

Accused and convicted family members placed in a penitentiary institution are granted the right to talk to each other by telephone. Correspondence between them will also be allowed;

All convicts are given the right to receive higher education;

The living conditions of accused and convicted persons are equalized;

It will also be possible to place a female convict in the prison for preparation for release. In this way, the rights of the convicted person placed in this institution will be extended to them;

All units of the penitentiary service are given a special status, which equalizes and improves the conditions of employees;

In addition to the official and rank salary, the employees will receive a supplement for years of service, and in the presence of the prerequisites - also state compensation.

The new Penitentiary Code takes into account the recommendations of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT), as well as the Public Defender of Georgia.

Deputy Minister of Justice, Tornike Cheishvili presented the amendments to the Parliament and the legislative body adopted them with 82 votes.

Along with the Tornike Cheishvili, Code, the Parliament of Georgia adopted a legislative package consisting of 21 draft laws.

The document was signed by Minister of Justice of Georgia, Rati Bregadze, Prosecutor General of Georgia, Irakli Shotadze and Deputy Prosecutor General of the USA, Bruce Schwartz.

The initialing of the extradition treaty between the US and Georgia is a logical step in the long negotiations. It was preceded by bilateral consultations between the parties in Tbilisi in January-February 2023.

The extradition treaty will promote fast and flexible cooperation between law enforcement agencies of the two countries and increase the effectiveness of the fight against crime.

Within the framework of the bilateral meeting, Rati Bregadze emphasized the importance of the strategic partnership between Georgia and the United States and noted that the fight against organized crime is a priority for Georgia, in which cooperation with partner countries takes on a special role.

Within the framework of the meeting, the importance of fast and flexible communication in the field of criminal law and the history of fruitful cooperation between Georgia and the USA in this regard were emphasized.

The parties agreed on new steps of cooperation, which will be especially facilitated by the signing of a bilateral agreement in the field of extradition.

Cooperation between Georgia and the USA will be deepened, also in the direction of sharing experience in the penitentiary field.

Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze spoke today about the ongoing reforms in the penitentiary system at a meeting in Washington. Namely, - a penitentiary system focused on the protection of human rights, accessible education and a digital university for prisoners, the Public Service Hall in penitentiary institutions and rehabilitation programs for the re-socialization of inmates.

The Minister thanked the American side for their contribution to the reform process of the penitentiary system and expressed hope that the existing friendly attitude and partnership cooperation will further deepen.

According to the Minister, the protection of human rights and the introduction of high-level standards in the penitentiary system is a priority of the Georgian government.

"Georgian penitentiary system is committed to keeping the golden mean between security and effective rehabilitation and re-socialization programs," said Rati Bregadze.

At the meeting, the Minister focused on other reforms carried out in the penitentiary system, among them, he spoke about the sports management strategy, the Public Service Halls opened in penitentiary institutions, the online store - Re-Market, where items handcrafted by prisoners are sold; the digital university that allows prisoners to get higher education, and more.

In addition, the Minister spoke about the educational and practical training courses that the Training Center of Justice provides for training and professional development of prison employees. In this context, Rati Bregadze emphasized the importance of opening the Saakadze Educational Base.

At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed that bilateral cooperation in the field of the penitentiary system will be greatly strengthened.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Justice, Beka Dzamashvili, Ambassador of Georgia to the USA, Davit Zalkaliani and Head of the Special Penitentiary Service, Nika Tshvarashvili.

During the meeting, the Minister of Justice emphasized the special role of the ICC in the fight against international crimes. According to the Minister, the challenges in the modern world add even more importance to the protection of international legal mechanisms and the strengthening of cooperation in this regard.

At the meeting with Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi, Rati Bregadze noted that Georgia, as a founding member of the ICC, is an active supporter of the court. In particular, it always participates in sessions, general debates and discussions. Georgia was actively involved in the election of new ICC judges this year as well.

The parties noted that the active involvement of member states is crucial for the timely execution of arrest warrants issued by the Hague Court.

At the end of the meeting, Rati Bregadze stated that Georgia will continue close cooperation with the Assembly of Contracting States to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in order to ensure the execution of international justice.

As a result of successful cooperation, on June 30, 2022, the Hague Court issued an arrest warrant against 3 "high-ranking officials" of the Tskhinvali region for the episode of crimes committed against Georgian civilian prisoners during the August war. It was said that it is now essential to mobilize all resources to enforce the arrest warrants.

It was noted at the meeting that the Georgian side particularly appreciates the decision of the Hague Court Victims' Fund to approve the aid program for the victims of the August 2008 war, the implementation of which began in April of this year. The program provides for the assistance of war victims in medical treatment, psychological rehabilitation of victims and other types of support.

The Georgian side expressed hope that the existing close, effective and institutional cooperation with the court will continue in the future.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Justice, Beka Dzamashvili, Head of the Special Penitentiary Service, Nika Tshvarashvili and Ambassador of Georgia to the UN, David Bakradze.

The Minister of Justice Meets Head of the New York Probation Office, Juanita Holmes.

At the meeting, Rati Bregadze spoke about the reforms and innovations implemented by the Ministry of Justice in the field of crime prevention and probation.

"Innovative device Probbox is a modern mechanism of electronic control of probationers, which has no analogues in Europe. Electronic control and services of probationers, together with probation bureaus, are possible in alternative area, thereby increasing the protection of the anonymity of probationers and the geographical area of their control and services”, noted Rati Bregadze.

The Minister also informed the American side about rehabilitation programs introduced by the Ministry of Justice in the field of restorative justice. The conversation touched upon the importance of opening mediation spaces and juvenile referral centers in the regions.

It was noted that sharing the best international practices in the future development of penitentiary and crime prevention systems is one of the strategic priorities of the 10-year development plan of the Ministry of Justice.

The Georgian side expressed readiness to get acquainted with US experience in the field of probation and thanked the host side for the fruitful cooperation.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Justice, Beka Dzamashvili, Head of the Special Penitentiary Service, Nika Tshvarashvili and Consul General of Georgia in New York, Maya Bartaya.

During the meeting with Li Junhua, Rati Bregadze emphasized that the UN's sustainable development goals respond to global challenges and their implementation at the national level is crucial for the formation of a democratic society. In this process, quick, equal and inclusive access to public services is essential.

Fast, efficient and customer-oriented state services is the business card of the Ministry, the accessibility of which is constantly being improved by the agency, including through the introduction of digital and innovative technologies.

The Ministry of Justice provides more than 470 services across the country through 118 Public Service Halls and Mobile Public Service Halls.

It is important that by means of the newly introduced Mobile Public Service Hall, the villagers have the opportunity to receive all services without leaving their homes. In addition, the functioning of Public Service Halls in penitentiary institutions is another innovation.

At the end of the meeting, the Minister of Justice expressed hope for strengthening the future cooperation with the UN Secretary General's Office.

The meeting was also attended by Deputy Minister of Justice, Beka Dzamashvili, Head of the Special Penitentiary Service, Nika Tshvarashvili and Ambassador of Georgia to the United Nations, David Bakradze.