On December 26, several cases of unjustified dismissal of civil servants became known to the public. Several employees of the National Agency for Crime Prevention, Execution of Non-Custodial Sentences and Probation LEPL were dismissed on the grounds of expiration of their labour contract. As reported in the media, the Agency dismissed its only social worker, as well as its only psychologist. Against the backdrop of the acute staff shortage, it is strange not to extend contracts with these employees. It is also worth considering that, according to the Law of Georgia on Social Work, the relevant agencies of the Government of Georgia are obliged to gradually increase the number of social workers so that by 2025, social workers employed in the territory of Georgia fully fulfill their official duties assigned to them by law. The social worker, who has been dismissed by the agency, is one of the signatories to the statement of civil servants, in which civil servants distance themselves from the unilateral suspension of the European integration process by Georgian Dream. The Agency confirms that employees employed under short-term contracts will not have their contracts extended after December 31. Given these facts, it is even more plausible to assume that the dismissal of the particular social worker is not related to the work needs, but to political persecution.

It also became known that Giga Sopromadze, executive secretary of Tbilisi City Hall’s council working on issues of persons with disabilities, had also been dismissed. Sopromadze’s dismissal in the card of Tbilisi City Hall’s Department of Healthcare and Social Services is explained by the fact that he is a freelancer, and all healthcare and social programmes implemented by the Department already have their own coordinators and a freelance position is no longer needed. After 8 years of work, Giga Sopromadze’s dismissal suspiciously coincides with his publicly expressed critical position regarding the unilateral suspension of European integration by Georgian Dream. Sopromadze is one of the initiators and founders of a new trade union of public servants, the goal of which is to protect the labour rights of party-neutral, independent public servants. Georgian Dream Secretary General and Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze responded to the critical statement of civil servants regarding the suspension of European integration by threatening to conduct reorganization, and it seems that Sopromadze, as one of the most active civil servants, is the first target of the announced persecution.

The dismissal of civil servants, who do not agree with the decision of Georgian Dream to suspend European integration, will likely take the form of a larger-scale persecution in the near future. The dismissal of civil servants on clearly party grounds, as well as the introduction of amendments to the Law on Public Service to deprive public servants of labour guarantees, is another sign that Georgian Dream has left the constitutional and legal space. The party-based persecution in public service will be possible to stop only through the unity, organization and solidarity of civil servants. Society should support in every possible way the process of establishing a party-neutral, independent public service, solid foundation for which is being laid by the unilateral suspension of European integration process by Georgian Dream and the activism and organization of public servants for the protection of the Constitution and their labour rights in response to the violation of the Constitution.