Georgia
ECHR partially rules in favor of Georgia nationals in 2019 protest case
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) awarded partial satisfaction to Georgian protesters on Tuesday, citing procedural flaws in the government’s handling of a 2019 protest. The case concerned the excessive use of force by Georgian police during the dispersal of a protest in front of the Georgian Parliament in Tbilisi on June 20 and 21, 2019.
In the case, the ECHR considered the violation of five articles of the European Convention on Human Rights which were brought forward by 26 applicants who had participated in the demonstration or were journalists reporting on it. In particular, the applicants raised their complaints in reliance of Article 3 (prohibition of inhuman and degrading treatment), Article 10 (Freedom of Expression), Article 11 (Freedom of Assembly and Association), article 13 (right to an effective remedy) and Article 38 (Examinations of the Case) of the Convention.
In its judgment, the court only found a partial violation of Article 3. In their application, the protestors had complained about the unjustified use of rubber bullets during the crackdown on the protest and further argued that no effective criminal investigation had been carried out. The court agreed with the applicants only about the procedural aspects of Article 3 stating that “the ongoing criminal investigation has fallen short of the requirement of effectiveness within the meaning of the procedural aspect of Article 3.” More specifically, the court cited numerous reasons, among them being the failure to adequately assess the anticipated escalation risk and the absence of appropriate charges despite years of investigation.
With regard to articles 10 and 11, the court found no violation, noting that the investigation by the Georgian authorities is still ongoing and in the court’s view feasible and therefore refrained from further examining the complaints. During the proceedings, it was also alleged that the Georgian government had failed to proactively inform the court of developments relevant to the case under Article 38, however, here too no violation was found.
The 2019 protest was sparked after a member of the Duma, the lower house of the federal assembly of Russia, had sat in the chair reserved for the speaker of the Georgian Parliament and delivered a speech during a session of the Interparliamentary Assembly on Orthodoxy. Diplomatic relations between Russia and Georgia have been complex and marked by conflict. In 2008, a war escalated between the two countries in a territorial dispute over the Georgian region of South Ossetia which has since been occupied by Russia.
As a result of the proceedings, Georgia was ordered to pay damages of up to €15.000 to four applicants, €5.000 ($5,37) to 18 applicants, and €1,800 ($1 ,934) to two applicants.
CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. — Animal shelters in Northwest Georgia are running out of space, with Catoosa and Walker County unable to take in more animals as the number of strays rises during the summer months.
Catoosa County officials say the county’s animal shelter is maxed out and can no longer accept animals.
Image via Catoosa County Animal Control
The shelter has room for 80 pets but is currently over capacity, limiting how much it can help when large animal rescues happen in nearby areas.
“I can’t speak for everybody, but I can say that working in animal care, summertime is definitely one of the worst times for us and for the animals more,” Abby Lynch, the community outreach and kennel officer for the Catoosa County Animal Shelter says.
Catoosa County officials say summer is when dogs and cats breed because the weather is nice, leading to more strays than usual.
Image via Catoosa County Animal Control
The Walker County Animal Shelter is also dealing with capacity issues.
The shelter says it has brought in 73 animals since the beginning of July.
Image: Walker County Animal Shelter
“In that same time, we have done 28 adoptions, which 28 adoptions in two weeks sounds great. But when you’re doing the math of 73 animals in and 28 animals going out, not super great,” says Melissa Smith, director of the Walker County Animal Shelter.
Catoosa County has helped neighboring counties during past crises.
Image via Catoosa County Animal Control
“We’ve assisted Dade County in the past with similar situations, and that’s when really rescues and shelters help each other,” says Dylan McColollum, director of Catoosa County Animal Control.
Dade County only got an animal shelter this year.
Image: Walker County Animal Shelter
In Georgia, only 61 out of 159 counties have animal shelters, making it more important for shelters to have enough capacity to help their own communities and assist neighboring counties when needed.
“We’re just grateful that we have our own shelter and can take care of our our county and its needs, and we’re happy to assist if other counties need our assistance,” McColollum says.
Image: Walker County Animal Shelter
Adoptions at the Catoosa County Animal Shelter are currently free because of donors. See available animals here.
They were designed to hold a drink, but cups produced in Rome, Georgia, have become one of the FIFA Men’s World Cup’s most unexpected souvenirs.
Inside the Top Cup plant in Rome, millions of cups were created to celebrate the world’s biggest sporting event.
“We made 10 million over 70 different graphics for the World Cup,” said Rome native and Top Cup General Manager Zach Dixon.
The plant in north Georgia produces up to 750,000 cups a day.
“We’ve always been really proud of the cup … but the World Cup has obviously taken it to another level,” said Top Cup CEO David Cuthbert.
Fans have been taking them home from matches. Some have even been listed for sale online.
“We’ve always been really proud of the cup… but the World Cup has obviously taken it to another level,” said Cuthbert.
Dixon said they begin the process with massive coils of aluminum, each weighing about 30,000 pounds. The metal is stamped, stretched, washed, and moved down the line.
The plant produces about 1,100 cups every minute.
Ricardo Marques, the senior vice president of marketing for Michelob ULTRA, said that there have been venue-specific, match-specific, and Finals-specific stadium cups for the World Cup. There are also three separate red, white, and blue designs available for fans at bars and restaurants around the U.S.
“We’ve seen an incredible response to the collection. Together, these commemorative cups give fans a unique keepsake and a lasting reminder of an unforgettable FIFA World Cup experience and the moments that brought millions of people together through the world’s game,” Marques said.
Cuthbert said his company has seen how the World Cup has done wonders for metro Atlanta businesses.
“Our team in Rome, Georgia takes tremendous pride in helping bring this fan experience to life for one of the world’s biggest sporting events,” he said.
So when soccer fans celebrate the surprise victory or mourn their last-minute loss, they’re doing so with a little piece of Georgia.
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