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Ministry of Justice Celebrates Day of the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Enforcement of Non-custodial Sentences and Probation for the First Time

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Tuesday, 26 July, 2022
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Ministry of Justice Celebrates Day of the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Enforcement of Non-custodial Sentences and Probation for the First Time

Minister of Justice of Georgia, Rati Bregadze congratulated the employees of the agency on their professional day. The Minister summarized the implemented projects and thanked the employees for their services.

Head of the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Enforcement of Non-custodial Sentences and Probation, Lado Kheladze introduced the results of the agency's activities and development vision to the employees. He focused on technological innovations, strengthening the direction of crime prevention, promotion of human resources development, infrastructural renewals and provision of necessary services to the beneficiaries.

Over the past year, a number of promises in the direction of crime prevention and probation have been fulfilled:

The first innovative device in Europe Probbox - an electronic service system for probationers, which provides geographic availability and anonymity of probation services. Currently, Probbox is distributed in the Public Service Halls and municipal buildings in 7 cities of Georgia, and in the future its number will increase to 250;

The renovated office of the Imereti Regional Probation Bureau opened in Kutaisi, and municipal offices - in Zestafon and Terjola. Meanwhile, Gardabani, Sighnaghi, Kaspi and Chkhorotsku probation offices have been located in the Public Service Halls and Community Centers of the same cities; The first regional office of the Juvenile Referral Center also opened in Kutaisi;

With respect to HR development - the number of probation officers increased by 12%, the number of social workers by 26%, and the number of psychologists by 67%. Code of ethics for probation officers has been developed as well;

4 new rehabilitation programs were introduced in the direction of re-socialization-rehabilitation of convicts and ex-prisoners. 577 minors and adults under the age of 21 have been included in diversion programs. The rate of successful mediation was statistically the highest - 67%;

In order to promote the employment of the beneficiaries of the agency, memoranda have been concluded with the State Employment Agency, the Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture. After the involvement of persons sentenced to penal labor in the implementation of infrastructural projects and after serving the sentence, for the promotion of their employment, memoranda have been signed with the mayors of different municipalities;

Mobile and 24-hour electronic monitoring teams have been created for effective enforcement of house arrest.

At the end of the event, Deputy Minister of Justice, Buba Lomuashvili and Head of the Bureau, Lado Kheladze awarded the successful professionals with certificates of appreciation.

The event dedicated to the day of the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Enforcement of Non-custodial Sentences and Probation was attended by agency employees, deputy ministers of justice, heads of structural units of the ministry, and representatives of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) of the United States of America.

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Memorial Ceremony for Victims of the 1990s Armed Conflict Held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral

Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze, members of the Government, and Minister of Justice Paata Salia attended the civil funeral service at the Holy Trinity Cathedral of Tbilisi for individuals transferred from the occupied region of Abkhazia who had gone missing during the armed conflict of the 1990s.

Paata Salia honored the memory of the deceased and extended his condolences to their families and loved ones.

Through the joint efforts of the Office of the State Minister for Reconciliation and Civil Equality and the International Committee of the Red Cross, and within the framework of a coordination mechanism involving Georgian and Abkhaz participants, 11 missing persons were identified and returned to their families. Among them were 2 military personnel and 9 civilians.
19.05.2026
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According to the Strasbourg Court, Publicly Made Insulting, Obscene, and Degrading Statements Fall Outside the Scope of Freedom of Expression

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg upheld the position of the Ministry of Justice in the case of Miladze v. Georgia, confirming that publicly made insulting, obscene, and degrading statements directed at public officials are not protected under the right to freedom of expression.

The case concerned a video published on the social media platform TikTok in 2022, in which the applicant, civil activist Irakli Miladze, used obscene and insulting language toward the Mayor of Tbilisi, City Hall employees, and police officers. As a result, the national courts imposed a fine of 500 GEL, the minimum penalty provided for by law.

The Strasbourg Court unanimously held that the applicant’s statements did not amount to political criticism or the expression of views on a matter of public interest. According to the Court’s assessment, the language used was intended primarily to humiliate and insult public officials.

The Court also agreed with the reasoning of the national courts, noting that they had properly distinguished between harsh political criticism, which is protected in a democratic society, and personal insults, which are not. The judgment further emphasized that the sanction imposed on the applicant was minimal and proportionate, as he received only the lowest fine available under the law.

Today’s ruling by the Strasbourg Court reaffirmed an important principle: freedom of expression is one of the fundamental values of a democratic society and protects even strong and offensive criticism; however, it does not extend to humiliating or personally insulting statements directed at others, including public officials and civil servants.

The judgment further underscores that the state is entitled to protect political officials and public servants from unjustified verbal abuse and insults, ensuring that they are able to perform their duties in an environment free from attacks that undermine their dignity.

The Court’s assessment once again highlights the fundamental importance of freedom of expression, while clearly establishing that the exercise of this right — particularly on the internet and social media platforms — must not infringe upon the dignity and rights of others.
19.05.2026