The US State Department publishes annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, also known as the Human Rights Reports. The document has traditionally reviewed the situation in Georgia.

As stated in the document, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) have primary responsibility for law enforcement and the maintenance of public order. The report notes that “There were indications that at times civilian authorities did not maintain effective control of domestic security forces”.

The document notes that the government took steps to investigate some allegations of human rights abuses, but shortcomings remained.

“The government took steps to investigate some allegations of human rights abuses, but shortcomings remained, including a lack of accountability for the inappropriate police force used against journalists and protesters during June 20-21 demonstrations and the 2017 abduction and rendition from Georgia of Azerbaijani journalist and activist Afgan Mukhtarli”, – reads the report.

The situation in the Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia is also discussed in the document.

“De facto authorities in the Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia remained outside central government control and were supported by Russian forces. A 2008 ceasefire remained in effect. Russian border guards restricted the movement of local populations.

While there was little official information on the human rights and humanitarian situation in South Ossetia due to limited access, allegations of abuse persisted. De facto authorities in the Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia restricted the rights, especially of ethnic Georgians, to vote or otherwise participate in the political process, own property, register businesses, and travel. De facto South Ossetian authorities refused to permit most ethnic Georgians driven out by the 2008 conflict to return to South Ossetia”, - reads the report.

The document emphasizes that de facto authorities did not allow most international organizations regular access to South Ossetia to provide humanitarian assistance.

“In July de facto Abkhaz authorities arrested Anzor Tarba in Abkhazia. Tarba died in custody, and de facto Abkhaz authorities later arrested lead investigator Badri Jirkiba and three other officials, charging them with “torture with particular cruelty, leading to the death of a detainee. The de facto ombudsman of Abkhazia claimed there was widespread torture in the Abkhaz penitentiary system. In March, Georgian citizen Irakli Kvaratskhelia died while in custody of Russian “border guards” in Abkhazia, who detained him for allegedly “illegally” crossing the ABL with Abkhazia. Georgian authorities viewed Kvaratskhelia’s case as one in a continuing pattern of arbitrary detentions of Georgian citizens for “illegally” crossing the ABL”, - reads the report.