CoE Commissioner for Human Rights condemns attacks against Georgian ombudswoman

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic has condemned attacks against Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria by Georgian MPs from the ruling Georgian Dream party. 

She wrote that the attacks were connected with Lomjaria’s  and her office’s work related to the former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili and his hunger strike. “I commend the Public Defender and her Office for their efforts to uphold the highest possible standards of protection of the human rights of all individuals over whom the Georgian authorities exercise jurisdiction.

 

<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Attacks by politicians vs. the Georgian Public Defender <a href=”https://twitter.com/Ombudsman_Geo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@Ombudsman_Geo</a> are unacceptable. Georgian authorities should ensure an environment conducive to the independent &amp; effective discharge of her work, incl. re the case of former President Saakashvili. <a href=”https://t.co/s7QspGgId6″>https://t.co/s7QspGgId6</a></p>&mdash; Commissioner for Human Rights (@CommissionerHR) <a href=”https://twitter.com/CommissionerHR/status/1463070044376772613?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>November 23, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>

 

“This issue was high on my agenda during the meeting I had yesterday in Strasbourg with the Chairman of the Georgian Dream Party, Irakli Kobakhidze, and the Chair of the Committee on European Integration in the Georgian Parliament, Ms Maka Botchorishvili.” Mijatovic said.

She stated that ‘t is crucially important first and foremost for all citizens of Georgia’ but also for Georgia’s international partners, including the Council of Europe, to be able to count on the expertise of an Ombudsman institution ‘which is able to discharge its works independently and effectively, in full compliance with international standards, including the Paris Principles and the Venice Principles.’