On 12-13 October 2023, the Council of Europe Office in Georgia supported the joint working meeting of the representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Special Investigation Service, the Supreme and other courts to discuss the main tendencies  of prosecution and adjudication of hate crimes.

The meeting participants analysed current trends of fighting against hate crimes, accomplishments in this field and the main challenges. They also deliberated on the national and international standards for identifying the motive of intolerance in criminal cases. The discussion extended to the topics, such as the victim-oriented approaches integrated into the process of legal proceedings for such crimes. Furthermore, the discussion encompassed the practical aspects of investigation, prosecution, and trial.

During the meeting, special emphasis was given to the importance of the collection of data on hate crimes, the participants discussed the innovations and challenges regarding the production of the hate crime statistics.

This activity is implemented in the framework of the Project “Promoting the Effective Protection of Equality and Non-Discrimination in Georgia.” The Project is funded through the Council of Europe Action Plan for Georgia 2020-2023.