The USAID Rule of Law Program supports awareness-raising activities about access to court issues among the local population.

On June 19, 2023, Prevention for Progress (PFP) and the Civil Engagement and Activism Center (CEAC) organized a meeting with eighteen Marneuli community representatives and two civil activists about the accessibility of the court.

The PFP and CEAC experts and volunteers provided information about rights, court forms, the availability of free legal aid, and challenges citizens may face when applying to the court.

Among the problems identified by the participants were the incompetence of interpreters, the unduly lenient criminal sentences in cases of violence against women, and the need for free legal assistance. According to community representatives, the confidentiality of information in the judicial system is also a challenge.

During the meeting, a small guide that included brief information in Georgian and Azerbaijani on issues related to the judiciary was distributed among the attendees. The meeting was covered in the local media that operates in Georgian and Azerbaijani, namely by Radio Marneuli and interpress.ge.

In communication with the media, the CEAC representative Rashan Ziadaliev noted: "Within the framework of this meeting, we provided the population with information on how the judicial system works, what is required to start hearings in the court, and what processes are taking place in the Georgian Judicial system. We also discussed issues related to court accessibility."

Seven more meetings will be organized during the project in regional centers, as well as in the villages of Marneuli and Bolnisi municipalities, to raise awareness about access to justice and the importance of a fair trial among the ethnic minorities living in Georgia.