Tbilisi: The office of public defender has denied all misinformation that member of Council of Ethnic Minorities under the Public Defender are leaving. The council claimed that this information is being spread by anti-social elements.
As per public defender office, both council that is, “Council of Religious Minorities under the public defender” as well as the “council of ethnic minorities under the public defender” are not structurally related to office of public defender. As per office bears of public defender both the councils are independent, self-regulating entities.
The office representative also claimed that “Despite many years of cooperation with the public defender’s office, the public defender has never been involved in the councils’ determination of their own independent policy, activities and decision-making. Accordingly, it cannot take responsibility for the internal processes developing in the councils. Moreover, office has nothing to do with those who are leaving council.
It is worth noting that the public defender’s office actively works on the issue of protecting the rights of religious and ethnic minorities and for this purpose, the public defender and his representatives, at the regional or central level, hold meetings every year with representatives of religious and ethnic minorities.
They also said that meeting is also held with non-governmental organizations working on relevant issues. The challenges identified by the office and the recommendations developed to eliminate them are reflected in the Parliamentary Report of the Public Defender.
The public defender and his office will continue to cooperate with all organizations working on the protection and advocacy of the rights of religious and ethnic minorities.
Notably the office has made efforts for protection of fundamental rights in Georgia. The office has been playing an active role to uplift the rights of protesters who are being subjected to excessive action of police and other law enforcement agencies.
