Regional laboratories of Batumi, Akhaltsikhe and Gori under Forensic-Criminalistics Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have successfully undergone evaluation process for accreditation under ISO17025:2017 international standards.
This is the first precedent in Georgia when the accreditation of regional examination laboratories is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the international standard - ISO17025: 2017.
For receiving accreditation, Forensic-Criminalistics Department adopted methodological manuals, standard operating and administrative procedures, as well as the experts of the Regional Laboratory of Dactyloscopic Expertise of the same department underwent international testing with professional tests provided by US-accredited companies (CTS, RS&A) applied to check and confirm the qualification of American and European experts.
Process of receiving accreditation for Forensic-Criminalistics Department under ISO17025:2017 standards is being actively implemented with the support and involvement of Bureau of International and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) under US State Department.
“I am very proud that INL has been supporting the Ministry’s forensic laboratory for almost two decades. We have provided technical support and consultance from the US as well as bringing Georgian CSIs to the US and we are very happy for the cooperation from the MoIA laboratory and we look forward to continuing our cooperation in the future”- stated Rebecca Hunt, Head of the local office of Bureau of International and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
After obtaining accreditation under international standards, reports prepared by the laboratories of Forensic-Criminalistics Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will be recognized and accepted in any country of the world.
Forensic-Criminalistics Department continues to work intensively for the gradual accreditation of other areas of expertise and by the end of August 2020, it is also planned to obtain accreditation of laboratories specializing in habitoscopic and technical/graphic expertise in accordance with the requirements of the ISO17025: 2017 international standard.
