The concept of restricting movement as a form of preventive measure was discussed by members of the legislative and executive authorities.

The purpose of the amendments is to introduce a new measure into the Criminal Procedure Code - restriction of movement, which is enforced through electronic monitoring, and the use of electronic surveillance for those accused of violence against women.

According to the initiative, the implementation of the new mechanism will be ensured by the Ministry of Justice's National Agency for the Execution of Non-custodial Sentences and Probation. Therefore, the effectiveness of movement restrictions will depend on the agency's technical and human capabilities. Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze spoke about these issues today.

According to the Minister of Justice, all initiatives in penitentiary and probation systems, including the movement restriction mechanism, serve to protect human dignity and rights. On the one hand, it implies a humane approach to accused persons and the use of a lighter form of detention instead of imprisonment for them, and on the other hand, it saves state funds - enforcement of movement restrictions requires approximately 80% less financial costs than providing imprisonment.

Rati Bregadze emphasized the fact that this prevention measure will not apply to all types of crimes and its use will be the prerogative of the court. According to the minister, the National Agency for the Execution of Non-custodial Sentences and Probation will purchase 1,000 wristbands and the same number of servers in the first stage for the enforcement of movement restrictions. In addition, it is planned to increase the number of employees of the electronic monitoring center and train them.

According to the Minister, the probation system is always ready for innovation. A good example of this is Probbox - an electronic service system for probationers, as well as a 24-hour monitoring service, which was created in the National Agency for the Execution of Non-custodial Sentences and Probation last year.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister of Justice Buba Lomuashvili presented the necessary measures for the implementation of the new prevention mechanism.

Speaker of the Parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, Prosecutor General, Irakli Shotadze, and Counselor of the Department of Justice of the US Embassy, Lena Owens, as well as representatives of the Public Defender, Lawyers' Bar Association, Young Lawyers' Association, Legal Aid Service, other state agencies and non-governmental organizations participated in the discussion of this legislative initiative.

The construction of the St. Panteleimon the Healer Temple on the territory of penitentiary institution No. 10 was ongoing for a year. Up to 40 convicts took part in the construction process.

On the 1,500 square meters of land, a baptistery and monastic cells were also built, where chanting, theological and Bible study courses will be held for the convicts.

The church opened today with the blessing of the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, Archbishop of Mtskheta-Tbilisi, Metropolitan of Bichvinta and Tskhum-Abkhazia, His Holiness Ilia II. Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze opened the temple together with representatives of the Patriarchate.

The convicts who participated in the construction were given certificates and souvenirs from the Patriarch.

Head of the Special Penitentiary Service, Nika Tshvarashvili and his deputy Giorgi Giorgadze also attended the liturgy.

The Minister of Justice continues to present the one-year report on the agency's activities in the cities of Georgia. After Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Borjomi, Rustavi, Batumi and Telavi, Rati Bregadze visited Gori today. The Minister personally informed the residents of Gori about the implemented reforms and fulfilled promises.

The minister's report covers all spheres of activity of the Ministry of Justice and the LEPLs under its governance and reflects the progress that has been achieved over the past year. In particular:

The innovative project Mobile Public Service Hall was introduced and is successfully operating in 7 regions; PROBBOX electronic service system for probationers was launched in 6 big cities of Georgia;

The reform of systematic land registration started - in 59 municipalities of Georgia, land is being measured and registered step by step, according to the timeframe;

Infrastructural works continue – 5 new public service halls and a community center were opened; Constructions are underway in 6 more municipalities; Additionally, one more Public Service Hall will be opened in Tbilisi, in Hualing; The Samtskhe-Javakheti regional archive building opened in Akhaltsikhe;

The bilingual magazine Iustitia was founded and published; The largest electronic legal database HeinOnline became available to the Ministry of Justice;

Memoranda of mutual cooperation were signed with the Ministries of Justice of Turkey, Israel, Hungary, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Switzerland;

Notary services have become available in 12 administrative units; Soon, citizens will be able to receive online notary services through a mobile application;

Employment programs for prisoners have been strengthened in the penitentiary and probation systems; encouragement of sports activities in penitentiary institutions continues;

Probation offices opened in Sighnaghi, Terjola, Kutaisi and Zestafoni; The referral center opened in Kutaisi; Memoranda of cooperation have been signed with municipalities for the employment of persons sentenced with penal labor.

The presentation of the one-year activity report of the Ministry of Justice was attended by local government representatives, deputy ministers of justice and invited guests.

The meeting of the Minister of Justice and his deputies with the cadets of the Davit Agmashenebeli Georgian National Defense Academy in Gori was dedicated to the August war. Rector of the academy, General Mamia Balakhadze, was also present at the event.

Gori is one of the cities that suffered the most from the Russian aggression 14 years ago. It was Iskander missile that fell in Gori and became the "Golden Evidence" which won a historic victory of Georgia in the Strasburg Court. The Ministry of Justice presented 15 witnesses to the International Court, residents of different villages, who have suffered the misfortune of the war, including mothers who have lost their children.

Soldiers who died as a result of the Russian aggression in 2008, soldiers who lost their comrades in the war; Victims who testified before the International Court; And the state together is the force that was able to confirm in Strasbourg the fact of Russia's occupation of Georgia.

The Minister of Justice and his deputies spoke to the cadets gathered at the National Defense Academy of Georgia about the ongoing disputes against Russia in Strasbourg and the Hague, which ended with decisions of historical significance for Georgia in the case of the August War. The conversation touched on the decision of the Strasbourg court to exclude more than 3,300 complaints submitted by the population of Tskhinvali region against Georgia, filed with the coordination of Russia. The fact proves once again that during the 2008 war, the Georgian military acted in compliance with the norms of international law.

The Minister of Justice and the deputies explained that the confirmation of the occupation of Georgia by the Russian Federation in 2008 by the Strasbourg court, the recognition of the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in the Tskhinvali region; Also, establishing Russia's guilt for killing and torturing Georgian prisoners of war; The inhuman and degrading treatment of military and civilians is a powerful legal tool for the further de-occupation of our country.

The lecture discussed the issue of arrest warrants by the Hague Court against 3 "high-ranking officials" of the Tskhinvali region, who are accused of torture and ill-treatment of Georgian civilian prisoners during the August war. The Prosecutor's Office of the Hague Court also stressed the issue of Russian General Borisov's responsibility. Based on this decision, after Strasbourg, the Hague International Criminal Court confirmed the responsibility of specific representatives of the Russian Federation and the separatist regimes for the crimes committed during the August War.

In order to end disputes in international courts in favor of Georgia, the Ministry of Justice submitted about 700 pieces of evidence (including video and photo materials, radar data, expert reports, surveillance camera recordings, records confirming explosions by a seismic station, witness statements, satellite images, media materials, international organizations reports, telephone surveillance records, mining reports, etc.) and a number of documents with relevant analysis and arguments.

The cycle of lectures on the topic - victories of the Ministry of Justice achieve in the European Courts of Human Rights to protect the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity - continued today in Telavi.

First Deputy Minister of Justice, Tamar Tkeshelashvili and Deputy Minister, Beka Dzamashvili spoke to the audience about the ongoing cases against Russia in Strasbourg and the Hague, which ended with decisions of historical significance for Georgia in the case of the August War.

The Deputy Ministers of Justice explained that the confirmation of the occupation of Georgia by the Russian Federation in 2008 by the Strasbourg Court, recognition of the ethnic cleansing of Georgians in the Tskhinvali region; Also, establishing Russia's guilt for killing and torturing Georgian prisoners of war; The inhuman and degrading treatment of military and civilians is a powerful legal tool for the further de-occupation of our country.

The conversation also touched upon the decision of the Strasbourg court to exclude or recognize as inadmissible more than 3,300 complaints filed against Georgia by residents of the Tskhinvali region, which were filed with the coordination of Russia. According to the Deputy Minister, the fact proves once again that during the 2008 war, the Georgian military acted in compliance with the norms of international law. The lecture discussed the issue of arrest warrants by the Hague Court against 3 "high-ranking officials" of the Tskhinvali region, who are accused of torture and ill-treatment of Georgian civilian prisoners during the August war. After Strasbourg, with this decision, the Hague International Criminal Court confirmed the responsibility of specific representatives of the Russian Federation and the separatist regimes for the crimes committed during the August war.

The event was attended by Irakli Shioshvili, the state trustee in Kakheti region, local government representatives, civil servants, and students of Telavi State University.

A tournament was held among convicts in the penitentiary institution No. 16 in 7 sports categories: backgammon, chess, basketball, volleyball, football, handball and table tennis.

Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze personally awarded the winners of the sports festival with symbolic gifts. During the meeting with the convicts, the Minister spoke about the importance of popularizing a healthy lifestyle in penitentiary institutions and the need for prisoners to participate in various types of sports.

After the tournament, the convicts performed several musical numbers for the guests.

The sports festival was held within the framework of the memorandum of cooperation signed between the Special Penitentiary Service and the International Foundation for Sports, Tourism and Youth, which serves to promote re-socialization and rehabilitation of convicts and support a healthy lifestyle in penitentiary institutions.

Together with the Minister of Justice, Head of the Special Penitentiary Service, Nika Tshvarashvili, his Deputy, Giorgi Giorgadze and Head of the International Foundation for Sports, Tourism and Youth, Tariel Khechikashvili attended the tournament.

The performance of the play - Angels Fly Over the Prison was held today in the Kote Marjanishvili State Drama Theater with the participation of convicts. 19 convicts participate in this one-act play. The script, direction, props, artistic decoration and posters belong to the convicts themselves. The performance was staged in Penitentiary No. 5 (Women’s Prison).

In the process of working on the play, the convicts had the full support of the management of the penitentiary service, as this is part of their re-socialization and rehabilitation program. The play itself is based on the idea that the convict, like any other person, should be able to start life with a clean slate after making a mistake. The process of working on the play was a kind of way for each participating convict to understand that through overcoming internal difficulties they will be able to draw experience from their mistakes that will help them plan their lives better. Angels Fly Over the Prison has already been performed on the stage of the Sandro AkhmeteliState Drama Theater;

Some of the convicts participating in the first performance have already left the penitentiary and were replaced by other convicts. The performance itself, as well as the process of working on it, is a kind of rehearsal for returning to society for convicts. Before the performance, an exhibition of handicrafts made by convicts was organized in the lobby of the Marjanishvili Theater.

The performance was attended by Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze, the Deputy Ministers of Justice, Minister of Education and Science, Mikheil Chkhenkeli, who cooperates with the Ministry of Justice within the framework of the "Digital University" project, members of the legislative authority, representatives of the LEPLs of the Ministry of Justice and members of the Patriarchate.

In the United Nations Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (SPT), the competitions for selection of candidates from Georgia to be submitted to the European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) and the Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) of the Council of Europe have been announced. The indicated contests will be held in accordance with the rules of conducting the competition approved by the orders of the Minister of Justice of Georgia No. 848, No. 849 and No. 850 of July 27, 2022. The Minister of Justice of Georgia has been granted the authority to determine the rules and procedure for the selection of candidates from Georgia to be submitted to international courts, as well as to international organizations working on human rights and legal issues and their bodies, by the Resolution No. 234 of the Government of Georgia. It should be noted that before the adoption of this resolution, there was no unified approach to the rules and procedures for the selection of candidates; The purpose of granting this authority to the Minister of Justice is the effective and timely fulfillment of the international obligations before Georgia, the selection and presentation of a candidate in the above-mentioned bodies impartially and in accordance with international standards. The participation of representatives of thematic agencies is considered in the composition of the candidate selection commission.

Candidates selected and nominated by the Georgian quota will act individually, independently and impartially in the above-mentioned bodies within the framework of their activities. Competition requirements are placed at the following links:

- Candidate for membership of the Council of Europe's European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) - https:/www.hr.gov.ge/JobProvider/UserOrgVaks/Details/72655?active=1 ;

- Candidate for the membership of the Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) of the Council of Europe- https://www.hr.gov.ge/JobProvider/UserOrgVaks/Details/72722?active=1 ;

- Candidate for membership of the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (SPT) - https://www.hr.gov.ge/JobProvider/UserOrgVaks/Details/72654?active=1.

In the near future, additional selection contests will be announced for the nomination of candidates to those international bodies where the deadline for the nomination of a candidate from Georgia is approaching.

In the 2nd issue of the magazine, the reader can get acquainted with the works of Georgian and foreign researchers on such actual challenges of modern legal science as: the relationship between the church and the state, definition of the concept of terrorism; Legal definition of cyber-attack; jury and mediation institutions in the Georgian legal space; Alternative dispute resolution in competition law.

For those interested in the history of law, the publication of the famous scholar Wilhelm Sauer's work ("Justice") continues, which is being published in Georgian for the first time. It is also possible to get acquainted with the Polish Constitution of 1791.

In the 2nd issue of the publication, the reader will also meet the interviews of Minister of Justice of Armenia, Karen Andreasian, and Prosecutor General of Georgia, Irakli Shotadze; The biography of the famous Georgian scientist, legal expert, Otar Gamkrelidze.

The Georgian-English magazine of the Ministry of Justice "IUSTITIA" was founded in June last year on the initiative of the Minister of Justice. It is a quarterly, refereed and peer-reviewed publication. Its purpose is to promote the development of separate fields of law and the deepening of academic discussion on legal issues.

In order to involve academic circles and the scientific community in the process of reforms, law-making activities, development and implementation of policy documents in the Ministry's system, the Ministry of Justice is establishing a new platform. According to the decision of the Minister of Justice, Rati Bregadze, a scientific advisory council was established at the agency, which is staffed by prominent experts in various fields of law.

The Scientific Advisory Council will develop draft laws, concepts, conclusions and opinions to be submitted to the Minister of Justice; These scientific and expert proposals will be taken into account in various spheres of activity of the Ministry of Justice.

Promotion of the law-making process based on scientific conclusions and analytics is one of the main priorities of the 10-year strategy of the Ministry of Justice. For this purpose, the bilingual legal journal Iustitia was founded last year, which is a quarterly, refereed and peer-reviewed publication. The presentation of the 2nd issue of the magazine was symbolically held at the session of the Scientific Advisory Council.

The members of the council include representatives of the Ministry of Justice, heads of law schools of higher educational institutions and professors.