52 NGOs to nominate three for public defender

Fifty-two non-governnetal organisations have plans to nominate Ana Abashidze, Giorgi Burjanadze and Nazi Janezashvili as a new public defener of Georgia, as the term of incumbent Nino Lomjaria expires in December, an Executice Director of organisation Sapari, Baia Pataraia, said on Tuesday. 

Pataraia claimed that the candidates had been selected in line with a “strict criteria” and along with other necessary competencies, the candidates have at least five-year experience in the field of human rights protection and are not affiliated with any political party.

Burjanadze currently serves as a  Deputy Public Defender, Abashidze is one of the founders of the PHR organiaation -Partnership for Human Rights – and an advocate for the rights of children and persons with disabilities, while Janezashvili is a former non-judge member of the Supreme Council of Justice and the founder of a  justice watchdog NGO. 

The approval of a new public advocate requires the support of at least 90 MPs in the 150-member state legislature.