Georgian Ombudsman's 2021 report

Ombudsman of Georgia Nino Lomjaria discussed the state of human rights in Georgia in 2021 amid International Human Rights Day.

• Saakashvili’s case

Lomjaria said that Georgia's detained third president, Mikheil Saakashvili, had been denied a fair trial.

"The case of Mikheil Saakashvili was considered by the Public Defender as a breach of the right to a fair trial since he was not permitted to present in court during the first three trials due to baseless and unlawful reasons," the Public Defender stated.

The footage of Saakashvili's transportation to Gldani facility N18, according to Lomjaria, violates the former president's rights. According to her, the ombudsman's viewpoint corresponds to the State Inspector's Office's evaluation.

• Self-government elections

The 2021 self-government elections, which took place in a highly politicised context, were problematic, according to the ombudsman. 69 people were allegedly fired and discriminated against for their political views during the elections, according to information available to the Public Defender, while 59 opposition candidates were allegedly pressured and intimidated into opting out of the elections. As a result, most of them withdrew their candidacies, with a few exceptions.

• Freedom of media

"In 2021, the dangerous and unfriendly climate for journalists has been particularly problematic in recent years," the ombudsman stated.

According to her, the ombudsman's office has documented scores of incidents of violence against journalists. Nino Lomjaria also points out that government officials' cynicism toward media is unmistakable.

Nino Lomjaria, speaking on the events of July 5, stated that the government not only failed to safeguard residents' well-being, but incited violence. According to the ombudsman, victim status has been awarded to 45 journalists and cameramen in the July 5 case.

• Covid-19 pandemic

Decisions taken by the Georgian government during the epidemic, according to Nino Lomjaria, put people's lives in jeopardy. The ombudsman says the vaccine education campaign and other restrictions were unsuccessful because some decisions were made based on political motivation rather than scientific basis. "The finest illustration of this is the introduction of permanent green passports, the repeal of the necessity to wear a mask for a specific length of time, and so on," she says. “This gives the idea that the laws were based on political or other expediency rather than scientific, medical, or epidemiological reasons."

The Georgian Public Defender, or ombudsman, is an agency that monitors the respect for human rights and freedoms in Georgia. It provides human rights advice to the government. It also examines the laws, policies, and practices of a country considering international norms and makes suggestions.

From 2003 through 2010, Lomjaria worked with the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (one of Georgia's main rights organisations). From 2011 to 2015, she was the Executive Director of the non-governmental organisation International Society for Fair Elections and Democracy (Georgia's largest election monitoring group), and from 2015 to 2016, she was the Secretary-General of the European Network of Election Monitoring Organisations. She was nominated by the ruling Georgian Dream party as Public Defender of Georgia following consultations with civil society organisations and approved by Parliament of Georgia for a five-year term on 30 November 2017 after a stint as deputy head of the State Audit Office of Georgia from 2016 to 2017.

During her time as Public Defender, Lomjaria has raised issues about women's rights, gender equality, children's rights, and jail conditions in Georgia, as well as producing numerous critical reports. She has also criticised the Georgian Dream government's increasingly aggressive stance toward civil society organisations, as well as the police's inability to prevent hate groups from targeting LGBT people, allies, and journalists. Lomjaria, on the other hand, has faced criticism and verbal attacks from Georgian Dream MPs, and has been characterised as a "political activist" at times. Civil society organisations, opposition parties, and key members of the European Parliament have commended Lomjaria's efforts as Public Defender.

President Zourabichvili: I don't have the clout or the authority to bring competing groups in Georgia together

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has stated that she has neither the leverage nor the power to reconcile the opposing forces in Georgia while discussing her reconciliation initiative, which she announced on December 10 at the Summit for Democracy organised by US President Joe Biden.

President Zourabichvili initiated an ‘inclusive process and national conversation’ involving all of society toward a reconciliation of the various political parties in Georgia and an end to polarisation.

On 28 December, Zourabichvili received non-governmental sector representatives and spoke about her plan, adding, "the civil and legal sectors are certainly the basis on which national consensus is constructed."

She stressed the significance of providing a forum where political parties may talk about the "problems that have divided the country," saying that "we cannot find the strength in ourselves to sit down together and debate those significant concerns."

"Even the EU attempted to secure a preliminary agreement amongst the political parties. I believe that could have been implemented, but that did not happen. I will not replicate this on my own because I do not believe I have the strength or means to do it," Zourabichvili stated.

Zourabichvili has already held several meetings with opposition leaders from various political parties, such as Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria and Patriarch Ilia II, in which she discussed ways to end polarisation in the country and reach a ‘national agreement.’

US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan praised Zourabichvili for her initiative, stating that her efforts in this regard ‘are extremely important.’

Earlier, on December 16, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili invited the opposition to a New Year's event at her residence. The offer has already been resurrected by several MPs. She took it upon herself, according to the president, to start the reconciliation process. This, according to Salome Zourabichvili, will be the start of a process of reconciliation, truth, and justice. "This is the route that many nations have chosen, and which, I feel, is absolutely essential for Georgia now."

The country's major opposition group, the United National Movement, declined Zourabichvili’s invitation (its leader is the former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili). President Salome Zourabichvili also submitted her countrywide reconciliation program to the leader of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II, according to the Presidential Administration. The Georgian patriarchate indicated that the Church will back any proposal "based on Christian and fair values."

Ministry of Justice of Georgia: Saakashvili will have to return to prison

After the end of the hunger strike, the course of treatment for former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has ended, so he will have to return to prison in Rustavi. This was announced on December 28 by the Minister of Justice of the Republic, Rati Bregadze.

“Mikheil Saakashvili was treated in the Gori military hospital and was discharged from the hospital. Naturally, a prisoner cannot be in a medical institution when the treatment is over,” said the head of the Ministry of Justice.

He noted that on December 27, when the employees of the penitentiary service came for Saakashvili to transfer him to prison, he refused to obey. Because of the strong excitement, the ex-president's blood pressure increased, and it was decided to postpone the prison transfer.

Saakashvili, commenting on this situation on Facebook, said that he lost consciousness at that time from high pressure. He also accused the authorities of wanting to transfer him to prison without asking for consent.

Let us remind that Saakashvili was taken into custody on October 1 after he returned to Georgia. From the first day he went on a hunger strike without giving any reason. First, he was transferred to the Gldani prison in Tbilisi, where there is a hospital, which caused a sharp reaction from the politician. He has repeatedly stated that he refuses medical assistance and expresses dissatisfaction with the conditions of detention. As a result, Saakashvili was transferred to the Gori hospital on November 20.

Saakashvili warned about measures if he goes on hunger strike again

If the former President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, after returning from a military hospital to prison, goes on a hunger strike again, he will be transferred to the prison hospital in Gldani again. This was announced on December 28 by the Minister of Justice of Georgia Rati Bregadze.

He commented on the failed transfer of the ex-president to a prison in Rustavi because he felt poorly when he learned about the upcoming transfer.

“With regard to all prisoners, it is accepted that if a health problem may arise, there is the 18th Gldani institution, where we usually transfer prisoners,” the minister said.

According to him, the public could see when the ex-president was previously transferred to Gldani, that they could take care of him there and provide medical assistance.

It is worth noting that he and his supporters call Saakashvili's transfer to the Gldani prison in November "torture" and "inhuman treatment." During the reign of Saakashvili, this prison gained notoriety, in 2012 a video was published of how prisoners were tortured there.

Saakashvili refused to go to his assigned cell in Gldani. As a result, he was carried by the arms and legs by five guards, which was shown in a video released by the Ministry of Justice. The ex-president, who had been on hunger strike for 39 days, resisted and kicked one of them. Once in the ward, he pushed the guard and threw the medical device off the bedside table. The video of the incident was posted on the Internet.

Papuashvili elected new speaker of Georgian parliament

Most of the deputies of the Georgian parliament during the meeting on December 29 supported Shalva Papuashvili, who was nominated by the ruling Georgian Dream party for the post of parliament speaker. This was reported by the press service of the legislative body.

“I am sure that at least in the next three years he will deserve words of gratitude from both our political team and representatives of the opposition,” said the chairman of the Georgian Dream Irakli Kobakhidze, introducing Papuashvili to the deputies.

Before the voting, the candidate for the post of speaker spoke from the rostrum and answered questions from the deputies. 88 people's deputies voted for him. Papuashvili became the third speaker of the Georgian parliament of the tenth convocation.

Recall that the previous head of the Georgian parliament, Kakha Kuchava, announced on December 24 that he was leaving this post. He also announced that he would resign as a deputy. However, he remains on the political council of Georgian Dream.

Earlier, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili appointed Zurab Azarashvili, the Deputy Defence Minister, as the next Health Minister, succeeding Ekaterine Tikaradze, who resigned on December 9 for undisclosed reasons.

Since February 2021, Azarashvili has been the Deputy Defence Minister. Prior to that, he served as the general director of STC Delta, Georgia's state-owned armaments manufacturing, which is part of the Defence Ministry. He was the general director of Tbilaviamsheni, a Tbilisi aircraft plant, from 2014 until 2020.