Tbilisi: Georgia’s special investigation service has announced that it is aligning its investigation policies with the European Union court standard. This is seen as a step toward the EU’s integration of Georgia.
The agency in collaboration with experts from the Council of Europe , the European Union, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, meticulously developed documents that define its policies in accordance with the EU standard.
Recently the Special Investigation Service presented the 2023 activity report to the Parliament of Georgia which also discusses the projects implemented by the service according to European Court standards.
The service developed a guideline document that determined the qualifications of the facts of improper treatment. This document was developed based on the decisions and recommendations of the European Court. With the support of the Council of Europe, it was presented to the representatives of the Office of the Public Defender, non-governmental organisations, and the academic circle.
The qualification document a testament to the service’s commitment to human rights and was evaluated by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. This evaluation underscores establishing uniform practices and reducing risks, marking a positive step in the state’s fight against ill-treatment.
The Service has also developed instructions for monitoring criminal legal cases, clearly defining a uniform standard for evaluating the quality of investigations. This comprehensive document details all the criteria, the proper implementation of which will satisfy the principles of effective investigation, keeping the audience well-informed about the service’s efforts.
Using each of these documents created by the European Court standards in practical activities will further contribute to the transparency, protection of citizens’ rights, and effectiveness of the investigation produced by the Special Investigation Service.
The 2023 report of the Special Investigation Service is available on the service’s official website and people can get it for detailed information.
