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.

Rati Bregadze informed the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations to about the role of the Ministry of Justice in the development process of the country's legal system and emphasized the long-term fruitful cooperation with the United Nations.

It was noted that the Ministry of Justice represents the state in international courts, including the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the International Criminal Court (ICC), the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and UN treaty monitoring bodies.

The Minister of Justice spoke about one of the agency's priorities - the direction and education of raising legal knowledge and awareness, as the best tool for building a democratic society and state.

The parties agreed that in the summer of 2024, Georgia, in cooperation with the Office of the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, will host a regional conference on topical issues of international law.

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, Davit Bakradze.

Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze's official visit to the USA began today. The Minister made a speech at the assembly.

"Fifteen years have passed since the 2008 Russia-Georgia war, as a result of which Georgian civilians and military personnel became victims of brutal crimes committed against them. We have achieved tangible results through intensive cooperation with the ICC Prosecutor's Office. In particular, on June 30, 2022, the Hague Court issued an arrest warrant against 3 "high-ranking officials" of the Tskhinvali region for the crimes committed against the population of Georgia during the August war, and identified the responsibility of the Russian Major General. On December 16, 2022, the ICC prosecutor completed the investigation in the August war without revealing violations of international law norms or any other kind of misconduct on the part of Georgia," noted Rati Bregadze.

According to the Minister, there is high expectation in Georgia that the issued arrest warrants will be promptly executed.

The Minister of Justice emphasized the importance of the ICC's activities in the issue of the rule of law and the protection of victims and expressed his unwavering support for future cooperation with the court.

On December 4-14 of this year, the Assembly of States Parties to the Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) is being held in New York, in which the Georgian delegation is also taking part.