The Memorandum of Understanding was signed today by Minister of Justice of Georgia, Rati Bregadze and Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform of Indonesia, Tjahjo Kumolo.

The document envisages deepening of cooperation in the areas of access to public services and e-government. A bilateral meeting was held between the ministers of the two countries before the signing of the memorandum.

Rati Bregadze and Tjahjo Kumolo discussed current projects and initiatives in Georgia in terms of efficient delivery of public services. The Georgian side introduced innovative projects to its colleagues: Mobile Public Service Hall; PROBBOX; Digital University and others.

Within the framework of the visit, the Indonesian delegation will visit the public service halls and community centers and will get acquainted with the successful experience of Georgia in the field of service delivery.

Rati Bregadze spoke about the reforms that have been carried out to strengthen the priority areas of the Ministry.

One year after the presentation of the Development Strategy of the Ministry of Justice, a number of promises have been fulfilled:

Innovative project - the Mobile Public Service Hall has been introduced and is successfully operating in 7 regions; Electronic probation service system - PROBBOX was installed in 6 big cities of Georgia; Systemic land registration reform has been launched in 59 municipalities of Georgia, land is being measured and registered according to the time plan.

Infrastructural works continue - 5 new public service halls and community centers were opened; Construction is underway in 6 more municipalities; An additional public service hall will be opened in Hualing, Tbilisi; Samtskhe-Javakheti Regional Archive building was opened in Akhaltsikhe.

The bilingual magazine Justitia was founded and published; The largest electronic legal framework HeinOnline became available to the Ministry of Justice; Memorandums of Understanding have been signed with the Ministries of Justice of Turkey, Israel, Hungary, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Switzerland.

Notary services became available in administrative units - Saguramo, Gamarjveba, Martkopi, Shuakhevi, Adigeni, Aspindza, Kachreti, Keda, Khobi, Zestaponi, Sighnaghi and Ambrolauri; Soon, citizens will be able to receive online notary services through a mobile application.

Significant reforms in the penitentiary and probation systems - employment programs for prisoners have been accelerated; Encouragement of sports activities in penitentiary institutions continue; sports squares have been repaired; Regular exercises are being held, probation bureaus are being opened in Sighnaghi, Terjola, Kutaisi and Zestaponi; the referral center opened in Kutaisi; Memoranda of Understanding have been signed with the municipalities for the employment of convicts.

The presentation of the report was attended by the Deputy Ministers, the State Representative in the Imereti Region, representatives of the local authorities, employees of the LEPLs under the Ministry of Justice and invited guests.

The document consists of 4 goals, 7 objectives and 22 activities. It is an action plan for the implementation of the obligations under the Law of Georgia on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and is based on the principles and standards recognized by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The main priorities of the plan are: further approximation of Georgian legislation with the provisions of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; More accessible environment for people with disabilities in the agencies of the Ministry of Justice; Further adaptation of services; Protecting the rights of defendants / convicts with disabilities in penitentiary institutions according to their needs.

The Analytical Department of the Ministry of Justice has developed the document with the active involvement of the system services of the Ministry. Representatives of persons with disabilities, as well as non-governmental organizations interested in the protection of their rights participated in the discussion of the working version.

The 2022 Action Plan for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was approved by Order № 223 of the Minister of Justice of June 1, 2022.

"Legal Security of the Country and Legal Struggle to Defend Georgia's Sovereignty" is a course of public lectures of the Ministry of Justice, which started on May 26 in Ambrolauri on the Independence Day at the initiative of the Minister of Justice of Georgia and will continue throughout the country. Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze presented the course of public lectures at Kutaisi International University (KIU) today and addressed the audience.

"We started the cycle of lectures symbolically on May 26, Independence Day. We want young people, first and foremost, and all stakeholders to get information on what independence means in legal terms; What is being done to ensure that our national sovereignty is protected at full length; Also, what is the path of the state, the people employed in the Ministry of Justice and various public structures in order to ensure the security of each of us, and the whole world to know that Georgia is an independent, sovereign state and its territories are occupied. The right to say that Russia is an occupier has become possible as a result of the successful work of both the government as a whole and the Ministry of Justice right after the historic decision of the Strasbourg court. The state does not belong to any government - it is the property of the people," said Rati Bregadze.

Beka Dzamashvili spoke to the listeners about the difficult and successful fight that the Ministry of Justice was waging against Russia in the European Courts of Human Rights in Strasbourg and the Hague to protect Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

He explained the importance of the fact that the courts of Strasbourg and the Hague recognize the territorial integrity of our country in the decisions and confirm that Georgia is occupied by Russia.

Also, what legal levers does the Strasbourg court provide to Georgia for the confirmation of ethnic cleansing of Georgians in the Tskhinvali region by the Russian Federation.

The public lecture was attended by Deputy Ministers of Justice - Tamar Tkeshelashvili, Erekle Gvinianidze, Rector of Kutaisi International University, Alexandre Tevzadze, the Deputy Governors of Imereti, public officials, students, representatives of academia and others.

A digital university will be launched for convicts in penitentiary institutions. The Memorandum of Understanding for the implementation of the project was signed by Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze and Minister of Education and Science, Mikheil Chkhenkeli in the N5 (Women's) Penitentiary Institution.

The Minister of Justice wished success to the future students and thanked Mikheil Chkhenkeli for his active involvement in the Digital University project:

"Today is another clear proof that we are fulfilling all our promises and will continue to do so in the future," said Rati Bregadze.

The Minister of Education and Science stressed the importance of the Digital University project and expressed the full support of the Ministry of Justice:

"The Ministry of Education and Science will do everything possible to ensure that people in penitentiary institutions receive a quality education," said Mikheil Chkhenkeli.

Rati Bregadze showed Mikheil Chkhenkeli the library, gym, football field and beauty salon of N5 penitentiary institution.

The Digital University is another promise made by the Ministry of Justice and part of the agency's 10-year development strategy. The project will enable persons in penitentiary institutions to receive electronic education at authorized universities in Georgia at both the bachelor's and master's levels.

The introduction of e-learning method in penitentiary institutions and access to higher education is an important step towards the realization of the right to education of convicts and their re-socialization and rehabilitation.

At the end of the day, at 17:10 (time of the declaration of independence of the First Republic of Georgia), the national anthem was performed, after which the Georgian flag - white and red balloons were released into the air.

After the official part, the evening continued with the concert of the ensembles - "Gordela" and "Banderol".

Towards Europe - with the activities united under this slogan, all the agencies within the system of the Ministry of Justice host the population of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, in Ambrolauri, in thematic pavilions throughout the day. First Deputy Minister of Justice, Tamar Tkeshelashvili, Deputy Ministers and heads of agencies within the Ministry participated in the public celebration.

The participants of the event had the opportunity to see the pavilions of the agencies within the system of the Ministry of Justice, to see such innovations as: Probbox, the Mobile Public Service Hall, equipment needed for land registration and more.

The entertainment program was provided for all age categories. An exhibition of handicrafts of convicts was organized; Cognitive space - Georgia’s Road to Europe, a virtual tour of European cities.

A fairy tale corner, a moving puppet theater, a giant soap bubble show, and an attraction were arranged to create a festive mood for the children.

The Ministry of Justice also responded with a public lecture on Georgia's Independence Day. Deputy Minister, Beka Dzamashvili spoke to the students and teachers of Ambrolauri School about the difficult and successful fight that Georgia is waging in the European Courts of Human Rights in Strasbourg and the Hague to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.

The legal security of the country and the legal struggle to protect the sovereignty of Georgia was the topic of a public lecture given by Deputy Minister of Justice, Beka Dzamashvili to the students and teachers of Ambrolauri Public School.

The Deputy Minister spoke to the audience about the difficult and successful fight that the Ministry of Justice was waging in the European Courts of Human Rights in Strasbourg and the Hague to protect Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity against Russia.

Beka Dzamashvili explained the importance of the fact that the courts of Strasbourg and the Hague recognize the territorial integrity of our country in the decisions and confirm that Georgia is occupied by Russia in order to protect Georgia's further de-occupation struggle and sovereignty.

The Deputy Minister also spoke about the legal leverage provided by the Strasbourg court in Georgia to confirm the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in the Tskhinvali region by the Russian Federation; As well as establishing Russian guilt for the killing and torture of Georgian prisoners of war; For the inhuman and degrading treatment of the military and civilians.

The lecture also addressed the issuance of arrest warrants by the prosecutor of the Hague Tribunal against 3 "high-ranking officials" of the Tskhinvali region and the detection of the crime of a Major-General of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Deputy Commander of the Air Force; Participants talked about the importance of the decision of the Strasbourg court, the exclusion or inadmissibility of more than 3,300 complaints filed against Georgia by the population living in the Tskhinvali region, which were coordinated by Russia.

Deputy Minister of Justice, Beka Dzamashvili and Head of the Department of State Representation in International Courts, Nino Nikolaishvili also answered the questions of the audience.

A public lecture in Ambrolauri was dedicated to the Independence Day of Georgia.

On the Way to Europe - with the activities united under this slogan, all the agencies within the system of the Ministry of Justice host the population of Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, in Ambrolauri, in thematic pavilions.

Innovative projects of the Ministry of Justice are presented in the pavilions: Probbox, Mobile Public Service Hall, equipment necessary for land registration and others.

The locals will be able to get legal advice on topical issues such as: systematic land registration, inheritance issues, etc.

During the day, an entertainment program will be presented for all age categories.

An exhibition of convicts' handicrafts and a cognitive space - Georgia's Road to Europe will be organized. A virtual tour of European cities will work for the participants of the event.

Numerous surprises await children - a fairy tale corner, a moving puppet theater, a giant soap bubble show, giant robots, a roller coaster.

At 17:10 (the time of Georgia's declaration of independence) the Georgian national anthem will be performed, and the evening will end with a concert by the ensembles "Gordela" and "Banderol".

The project - Mock Trial in Human Rights Law was attended by about 120 students from different universities across the country. The winner of the mock trial was the team of the Faculty of Law of Tbilisi State University.

The final stage of the mock trial was held in Sairme, which was attended by Deputy Ministers of Justice, Beka Dzamashvili and Tornike Cheishvili.

The mock trial in human rights law was organized by the European Law Students Association (ELSA). The project was carried out in several stages during 6 months. Law students attended human rights lectures, learning in detail about the principles and practical aspects of the European Court of Human Rights.

A total of 14 projects were funded under the Ministry of Justice's grant program to strengthen human rights, introduce innovative services, facilitate the rehabilitation and re-socialization of convicts and ex-prisoners, and ensure effective crime prevention.