Protecting Property Rights in Georgia

From 2004 to 2012, the Georgian government undertook a series of economic development projects intended to improve infrastructure, encourage investment, and boost the country’s capacity for tourism. In order to complete many of these projects, the authorities illegally expropriated private property and refused to provide compensation for the property owners. Approximately 12,000 families were affected. NMAP produced a short documentary with Transparency International Georgia, profiling two of the land owners who lost their farms. The goal of the piece was to force policy makers to provide remedies for affected property owners and adopt legislative amendments that ensure greater legal protection for property rights.