A landmark judgment allowing an official registration of Georgian Network of People Who Use Drugs for Human Drug Policy (GeNPUD) was delivered on March 26, 2018, by Tbilisi City Court Judge Tamar Chuniashvili.
The lawsuit was prepared on behalf of GeNPUD after the network was refused official state registration as stated in LEPL National Agency of Public Registry’s decision. The rejection of registration was based on the “name issue.” Public Registry references the law which says that the name of GeNPUD (any kind of drug users’ organizing assembly) seemed to be an attempt “to put the illegal activities in the legal framework” and is misleading the entire society. GeNPUD is disagreeing saying that this is the violation of the community’s fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution and the European Convention.
Within the lawsuit and during the Court hearing among legal arguments versus the Public Registry, Strasbourg Court’s judgments solid arguments as well as factual circumstances that demonstrated the importance of the network activities in the process of human rights protection, harm reduction services’ effective delivery to the targeted groups, liberalization of the drug policy, formation of effective health system and in overall all for public benefit were presented.
GeNPUD believes that Tbilisi City Court’s judgment would be an important step in the protection of the communities’ rights and interests not only at the local level but at the international scene and it will become the new window of opportunities to fight for health and the fundamental rights of the community members. It is believed that this judgment will further strengthen the democratic values on the way of establishing the effective drug policy.
Source: Drug Policy Georgia
