The Victims" Rights Protection Unit will be established within the Special Investigation Service

In order to create additional guarantees for the protection of human rights and effectively implement the recommendations of the European Court of Human Rights of Strasbourg, the Victims’ Rights Protection Unit will be created within the Special Investigation Service.

Koka Katsitadze, Head of the Special Investigation Service, together with his deputies presented the above-mentioned initiative to the representatives of the Public Defender’s Office and the non-governmental sector for further discussion and recommendations with the support of the joint initiative Human Rights for All - Phase 2 of the European Union, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Transparency and the existence of a high level of public trust are the necessary preconditions for the fulfillment of the obligations undertaken by the Special Investigation Service and the conduct of an objective investigation. Thus, one of the main priorities of the Service is the creation of high guarantees of human rights protection and the establishment of effective communication mechanisms tailored to potential victims.

Shortly after its establishment, the Special Investigation Service developed simplified procedures for the familiarization with case materials for potential victims; In order to ensure the safety of the victims, the special protection program was launched at the Service. The new unit will be focused on the effective implementation of the above-mentioned initiatives in practice and will create additional guarantees for the protection of the rights of potential victims.

The newly established unit will facilitate the involvement of a victim in the investigation process and communication with the investigator, will help to reduce the stress caused by the crime and will inform the victims during the investigation.

The Victims’ Rights Protection Unit will be staffed with highly qualified, specialized personnel selected through an open competition and will be professionally trained in accordance with international standards of human rights with the support of the Service and international organizations.