French ambassador awards former ombudsperson for promoting human rights

French ambassador to Georgia Sheraz Gasri on Tuesday awarded former public defender of Georgia Nino Lomjaria with the National Order of Merit for her efforts to protect and promote human rights and equality in her country while in office until December 2022. 

 

Lomjaria, who has been slammed by the current Georgian Dream authorities for her “political bias”, also  won the annual Global Human Rights Defender Awards presented by the US Department of State in February. 

 

The Georgian Dream authorities claimed Lomjaria had been affiliated with the United National Movement opposition party and was supporting their efforts to overthrow the government. 

 

She assumed the position in November 2017.