The Public Defender of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს სახალხო დამცველი, tr), an
ombudsman
An ombudsman (, also ,), ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament (usually with a significant degree of independence) to investigate complaints and at ...
, is an institution that oversees the observance of human rights and freedoms in
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
. It advises the government on human rights issues. It also analyses the nation's laws, policies, and practices, in compliance with the international standards, and provides relevant recommendations.
The Public Defender of Georgia is elected for a term of six years, for no more than one consecutive term, by a majority of at least 3/5 of the total number of the members of the
Parliament of Georgia
The Parliament of Georgia ( ka, საქართველოს პარლამენტი, tr) is the supreme national legislature of Georgia. It is a unicameral parliament, currently consisting of 150 members; of these, 120 are proportio ...
.
The office was established in accordance with the 1996 Organic Law on the Public Defender of Georgia.
Any obstruction of the activities of the Public Defender is punishable by law.
The
Constitution of Georgia grants certain immunity to the Public Defender; they can be arrested only with the consent of Parliament, except if caught at the crime scene.
The public defender of Georgia took a proactive approach to the issue of torture, which used to be widespread in Georgia's police stations, leading to a dramatic reduction in its occurrence in the mid-2000s. Aspects of its program that were deemed effective in reducing torture include accepting anonymous complaints and commonly making surprise visits to places of detention.
List of Public Defenders of Georgia
* Davit Saralidze (დავით სალარიძე), 27 October 1997 – 1 September 2000
* Nana Devdariani (ნანა დევდარიანი), 1 September 2000 – 1 September 2003
* Temur Lomsadze (თემურ ლომსაძე; ''acting''), 1 September 2003 – 16 September 2004
*
Sozar Subari
Sozar Subari ( ka, სოზარ სუბარი) (born November 4, 1964) is a Georgian politician, journalist, and human rights activist. He was formerly Georgia's Minister for IDPs, Accommodation and Refugees from 26 July 2014 to 13 June ...
(სოზარ სუბარი), 16 September 2004 – 17 September 2009
* Giorgi Tugushi (გიორგი ტუღუში), 17 September 2009 – 20 September 2012
* Ucha Nanuashvili (უჩა ნანუაშვილი), 7 December 2012 – 30 November 2017
*
Nino Lomjaria (ნინო ლომჯარია), 30 November 2017 – 8 December 2022
* Tamar Gvaramadze (თამარ გვარამაძე; ''acting''), 8 December 2022 – present
References
{{reflist
Ombudsman posts
Human rights in Georgia (country)
Political office-holders in Georgia (country)
1996 establishments in Georgia (country)
Government agencies established in 1996