Georgian rights defenders note increase of pre-trial arrests

Over the past year, Georgia courts have more frequently send defendants into custody or impose bail, although such measures are not entirely justified. This approach used by courts violates the principles of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), an advocate has stated.

The Georgian NGO "Young Lawyers' Association" has presented the monitoring results of more than 2700 judicial cases run in the period from March 2018 to February 2019 by courts of Tbilisi, Kutaisi (Imereti Region), Batumi (Adjara), Gori (Shida Kartli Region) and Telavi (Kakheti Region).

The monitoring states that at the first court session, in 98% of cases, the court appoints of arrest or bail to the defendant. There is also a trend to increase the share of arrests.

As a result, the number of defendants placed under arrest has grown significantly. Out of 668 defendants, 452 were put behind bars. Moreover, courts fail to reconsider the pre-trial detention.

Courts often ignore the principles of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the ECtHR, the well-known Georgian lawyer, Soso Baratashvili, has noted. He criticized the practice of restricting freedom of those persons who faithfully appear in court and do not demonstrate any intentions to leave the country.