The LEPL Department of Common Courts under Georgia’s High Council of Justice has purchased furniture for 19 courts nationwide, including lockers designed for storing mobile devices.
The tender was announced on September 19. A contract with the supplier, LLC Aves, with a total value of GEL 91,700, was signed on October 17.
Information about the purchase is publicly available on the website of the State Procurement Agency.
Small, lockable phone lockers were already installed though not yet in use at the Tbilisi Court of Appeal about two weeks ago, where journalists were present to cover hearings related to cases of so-called “prisoners of conscience.”
The furniture was purchased for the following 19 facilities (listed together): Tbilisi Court of Appeal, Tbilisi City Court (two locations), Kutaisi Court of Appeal, Batumi City Court, Rustavi City Court, Gardabani Magistrate Court, Khelvachauri District Court, Khashuri District Court, Sachkhere District Court, Ambrolauri District Court, Tsageri District Court, Bolnisi District Court, Marneuli Magistrate Court, Kutaisi City Court, Department of Common Courts, Senaki District Court, Samtredia District Court, Lanchkhuti Magistrate Court.
Notably, lockers specifically designed for mobile phones appear only in the furniture procured for Tbilisi Court of Appeal and Tbilisi City Court.
For example, the Tbilisi City Court located on Agmashenebeli Alley is to receive a cabinet with 960 individual, lockable compartments for mobile phones. Beneath the cabinet, there will be 22 larger compartments for bigger items. According to the contract, the delivery deadline is 14 calendar days from the signing of the agreement.
Although the cabinets have not yet been installed at the Tbilisi City Court, based on contractual obligations, it can be assumed that the court has had the mobile phone storage cabinets since October 30.
At the end of June, Georgian Dream’s parliament adopted, under an expedited procedure and within just two days, a package of legislative amendments authored by ruling party MPs Archil Gorduladze, Tornike Cheishvili, Aleksandre Tabatadze, Davit Matikashvili, Rati Ionatamishvili, Aluda Gudushauri, Tengiz Sharmanashvili, Guram Macharashvili, and Akaki Aladashvili.
Under the new regulations, the Georgian Dream regime significantly restricted and complicated media coverage of court hearings. Photo and video recording, as well as audio recording, were banned on court premises including courtyards.
As an alternative means of obtaining information, television media were left with the option of recording comments from hearing participants and attendees at the entrance to court courtyards. Online media outlets took on the task of documenting court proceedings as thoroughly as possible. Various publications, including Netgazeti, continued real-time reporting from courtrooms through live blogs and other alternative methods after recording and filming were prohibited.
Whether the installation of mobile phone lockers in courts means that the Georgian Dream regime is preparing to ban the entry of mobile phones into court hearings altogether remains an open question and a growing cause for concern.
The confiscation of mobile phones and other electronic devices would make it even more difficult and effectively impossible for journalists to provide timely and accurate coverage of what is happening inside Georgian courtrooms.