HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE AGENCIES UNDER THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS POLICE QQ This report describes the results of the monitoring carried out by the National Preventive Mechanism at police units and divisions under the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. During the monitoring, the monitoring group examined journals for registration of detainees and journals for registration of individuals transferred to temporary detention isolators. It should be noted that these journals are filled out either incompletely or incorrectly. Thus, sometimes it is impossible to discern the time of arrest, the time and date of bringing the detainee to a district police unit or the subsequent fate of the detainee. Sometimes the numbering in the journals is messed up or there is no indication about where and how the impugned offence was committed. Relevant provisions from the Criminal Code are not referenced. Sometimes some sections are left empty. When examining the journals at various facilities, the monitoring group found most of the violations in the police units of Keda, Batumi, Bolnisi, Dedoplistkaro, Lagodekhi and Kaspi. The least number of violations (2 in each case) were found in the journals kept at local district police units in Akhalkalaki, Gardabani and Khoni. The Special Preventive Group’s attention was captured by the fact that individuals were often times arrested and transferred to specialized institutions for testing on drug use. For example, in the period of January – June, the Zugdidi division of the Samegrelo – Zemo Svaneti police arrested up to 1,600 individuals for alleged drug consumption but the actual consumption was proven only in 130 cases. These figures raise serious concerns since more than 90% of arrested individuals turned out to have been arrested on false suspicion. This leads us to conclude with a high probability that, in arresting these individuals, the police was acting not on the basis of a reasonable doubt test but arbitrarily. The law enforcement officers we interviewed in the course of the monitoring confirmed that they were using such arrests as a preventative tool. In other words, the police wanted to make an impression that anyone may get arrested and tested regardless of whether the police have a reasonable doubt about a particular individual. During the monitoring, members of the Public Defender’s National Preventive Mechanism were allowed to enter without any difficulties and move freely in both the territories of penitentiary institutions and Interior Ministry’s district units and temporary detention isolators. The only exception was the Sagarejo District Division of the Kakheti Chief Regional Division where the members of the Special Preventive Group denied the right to enter the police building. In particular, on 17 October 2013, the Public Defender’s National Preventive Mechanism was visiting the Sagarejo District Division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs with a view of examining journals for registration of detainees and journals for registration of individuals transferred to temporary detention isolators. On entering the duty officer’s room, the trustees of the Public Defender explained the duty officer the reason of their visit. As they were talking to the officer, Giorgi Revazishvili, Deputy Chief of the Sagarejo District Division came into the duty room who insisted that the Public Defender’s representatives leave the room. Although we explained the Public Defender’s rights under the Organic Law of Georgia on the Public Defender, he behaved himself defiantly continuing to demand with a loud voice that the members of the Office of the Public Defender leave the duty room. Then, Giorgi Revazishvili used the help of another person dressed up in civilian clothes, al- NPM Report 50