On April 26-28, 2017, the Public Defender of Georgia held meetings in Strasbourg, where he met with Gianni Buquicchio, the President of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe, Nils Muižnieks, the Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe, Guido Raimondi, the President of the European Court of Human Rights, Pedro Agramunt, the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Gianluca Esposito, the Executive Secretary of the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption, Alexander Gessel, the Head of the Political Affairs Directorate of the Council of Europe, Christos Giakoumopoulos, the Head of the Human Rights Directorate, and the Rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on the issue of Georgia.

The Public Defender informed the members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe of the human rights situation in Georgia. Ucha Nanuashvili drew attention to the amendments drafted by the State Constitutional Commission, his remarks concerning the amendments and the changes that should be reflected in the revised text of the constitution.

The Public Defender also reviewed the situation in the field of judiciary, the increased number of alleged ill-treatment committed by police officers and drawbacks in the investigation, as well as shortcomings in the judicial system, the human rights situation in the occupied territories and the cases of detention of Georgian citizens on the administrative border.

The Public Defender also provided information to the members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe about the implementation of the law on discrimination in Georgia, the situation of violence against women, media environment and other important issues.