Human rights in Georgia (country)
Encyclopedia
Human rights
in Georgia
are guaranteed by the country's constitution
. There is an independent human rights public defender elected by the parliament to ensure such rights are enforced. However, it has been alleged by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the United States
Department of State and the Georgian opposition that these rights are often breached.
In addition around 20% of the territory of what was the Georgian SSR is in dispute (occupied in the view of the government in Tbilisi) and there have been frequent allegations of human rights abuses in these terrioties also.
between the G.O.C. and the Georgian government, is still in place. which grantes the Georgian Orthodox Church a privileged status in Georgia, and endows it with authority over all religious matters. It is the only church that has tax-free status, and it is often consulted in government matters. Together with being free of tax, Georgian Orthodox Church also gets some financing from the government as well. The main reason for this is that the church has always been very active in country's cultural development and just like in most Eastern Orthodox countries, the line between culture and religion is blurred.
Georgia has ratified the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
in 2005. NGO "Tolerance" in its alternative report about its implementation speaks of rapid decreasing of the amount of Azerbaijani schools and cases of appointing headmasters to Azerbaijani schools who don't speak Azerbaijani.
During the 2007 Georgian demonstrations
, the riot police attacked the headquarters of Imedi channel, leading it to off the airing of demonstrations.
and Second Chechen War
s. The biggest problem in this matter is that Georgia already had nearly 300,000 refugees from the wars with separatist regions in 1990, which made things for the government even harder. In recent years, there have been numerous legislations passed in order to protect the refugees and give them financial and medical help. As of 2008, Georgian government reported that millions of dollars of aid would be allocated from the state resources for improvement of living conditions for the refugees and other people in need.
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
in Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
are guaranteed by the country's constitution
Constitution of Georgia (country)
The Constitution of Georgia is the supreme law of Georgia. It was approved by the Parliament of Georgia on August 24 1995. It entered into force on October 17...
. There is an independent human rights public defender elected by the parliament to ensure such rights are enforced. However, it has been alleged by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Department of State and the Georgian opposition that these rights are often breached.
In addition around 20% of the territory of what was the Georgian SSR is in dispute (occupied in the view of the government in Tbilisi) and there have been frequent allegations of human rights abuses in these terrioties also.
Rights of minorities
The government of Georgia have taken positive steps towards protecting religious minorities. Attacks against those of different faiths have subsided since the revolution, and a leader of these attacks, Vasili Mkalavishvili, was arrested and incarcerated by the authorities. Prime Minister Zurab Jvania was a key supporter of allowing religious organisations recognition from the state, but he faced considerable opposition from his own government: his own president said that the state should do what it can to 'protect Georgia from harmful alien influence.' Despite reforms allowing minority churches to register themselves in 2005, the Georgian Orthodox church has a considerable monopoly in Georgia, whilst minority groups find it hard to even build places of worship. The 2002 concordatConcordat of 2002
The Constitutional Agreement between the Georgian state and the Apostolic Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Georgia , informally referred to as the Concordat, is an agreement between the Georgian Orthodox Church and the state that defines relations between the two entities...
between the G.O.C. and the Georgian government, is still in place. which grantes the Georgian Orthodox Church a privileged status in Georgia, and endows it with authority over all religious matters. It is the only church that has tax-free status, and it is often consulted in government matters. Together with being free of tax, Georgian Orthodox Church also gets some financing from the government as well. The main reason for this is that the church has always been very active in country's cultural development and just like in most Eastern Orthodox countries, the line between culture and religion is blurred.
Georgia has ratified the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities was signed on February 1995 by 22 member States of the Council of Europe ....
in 2005. NGO "Tolerance" in its alternative report about its implementation speaks of rapid decreasing of the amount of Azerbaijani schools and cases of appointing headmasters to Azerbaijani schools who don't speak Azerbaijani.
Freedom of expression and of the media
The government has improved protection of freedom of expression, by such measures as decriminalising libel.During the 2007 Georgian demonstrations
2007 Georgian demonstrations
The 2007 Georgian demonstrations were a series of anti-government protests in Georgia. The demonstrations peaked on November 2, 2007, when 50,000-100,000 rallied in downtown Tbilisi, capital of Georgia. People protested against the allegedly corrupt government of president Mikheil Saakashvili...
, the riot police attacked the headquarters of Imedi channel, leading it to off the airing of demonstrations.
Status of refugees
Refugees do not have satisfactory housing, medical care, or job opportunities in Georgia, especially the ones from the FirstFirst Chechen War
The First Chechen War, also known as the War in Chechnya, was a conflict between the Russian Federation and the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria, fought from December 1994 to August 1996...
and Second Chechen War
Second Chechen War
The Second Chechen War, in a later phase better known as the War in the North Caucasus, was launched by the Russian Federation starting 26 August 1999, in response to the Invasion of Dagestan by the Islamic International Peacekeeping Brigade ....
s. The biggest problem in this matter is that Georgia already had nearly 300,000 refugees from the wars with separatist regions in 1990, which made things for the government even harder. In recent years, there have been numerous legislations passed in order to protect the refugees and give them financial and medical help. As of 2008, Georgian government reported that millions of dollars of aid would be allocated from the state resources for improvement of living conditions for the refugees and other people in need.
See also
- LGBT rights in Georgia (country)
- Sandro Girgvliani Murder CaseSandro Girgvliani Murder CaseThe Sandro Girgvliani Murder Case is one of the most notorious criminal cases in the modern history of Georgia. The killing, and the events as a result of it, have generated heavy criticism of the current government, particularly the interior minister, and the extent to which reformist President...
External links
- UN OHCHR page on Georgia
- HumanRights.ge – daily updated online magazine and web portal on human rights in Georgia
- Have the rights of religious minorities improved?
- US State department's International religious freedom report, 2005.
- HRW Human Rights overview
- Human Rights Watch, Georgia
- Censorship in Georgia - IFEXInternational Freedom of Expression ExchangeThe International Freedom of Expression eXchange , founded in 1992, is a global network of around 90 non-governmental organisations that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression....
- IDP Voices - Read and listen to life stories from displaced people in Georgia.