Georgian Young Lawyers Association to appeal to ICC
GYLA appeals to ICC
The Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association (GYLA) plans to file an appeal with the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the use of violence during the dispersal of protests and is establishing a coordination framework for this purpose. GYLA Chairperson Nona Kurdovanidze announced at a briefing that anyone, including victims, would be able to participate in the coordination process.
Kurdovanidze stated that GYLA has been monitoring human rights violations in Georgia daily in recent days and believes that the systematic and brutal repression of civilians constitutes a crime against humanity, warranting a case at the International Criminal Court.
“Given the scale of escalating repression and systemic human rights violations, the unfolding events may reach the threshold of crimes against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Specifically, acts of torture through large-scale and systematic attacks on the civilian population, persecution on political and discriminatory grounds, and other inhumane acts of a similar nature are being observed.
However, there is no longer an independent mechanism within the country capable of properly investigating these crimes. Considering this reality, the ‘Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association’ will explore the possibility of appealing to the International Criminal Court and utilizing other international mechanisms,” Kurdovanidze stated.
On December 2, Georgian Ombudsman Levan Ioseliani reported that the majority of those detained during the protests (124 out of 156 individuals interviewed by the Ombudsman’s Office) complained of violence and inhumane treatment by law enforcement officers.
“This is a very alarming indicator. I urge the police not to exceed the limits established by law,” Ioseliani stated.
