At a plenary session of Parliament, the Public Defender of Georgia, Levan Ioseliani, presented the report on the "State of Human Rights and Freedoms Protection in Georgia in 2024".

As L. Ioseliani noted, during the reporting period, the Public Defender's Office received 3,780 complaints concerning human rights violations, while the hotline registered 14,295 calls.

He added that in response to the identified violations, the Public Defender’s Office submitted 82 recommendations and proposals to state institutions.

"In 2024, a total of 16 special reports and 1 alternative report for submission to international bodies were prepared, along with 2 constitutional claims, 11 amicus curiae opinions, and 4 communications to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. To identify and study rights violations and challenges, the Public Defender’s Office carried out multiple visits to various institutions", – L. Ioseliani stated.

He addressed a range of issues, including the legal situation of conflict-affected populations, femicide, conditions in penitentiary and psychiatric institutions, the practice of early conditional release and sentence substitution, full civic integration of national minorities, discriminatory treatment against women, the right to decent remuneration, the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities, children's rights, and others.

Co-rapporteur and Chair of the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee, Rati Ionatamishvili, underlined that one of the most responsible processes in the Parliament of Georgia is the hearing of the Public Defender’s reports, the development of resolutions based on the recommendations therein, and the monitoring of the implementation of related assignments.

As R. Ionatamishvili highlighted, the 2024 report of the Public Defender also reflects positive trends in several areas, including: improvements in the performance of the judiciary and increased efficiency of investigations; better protection of prisoners’ rights and enhanced rehabilitation and resocialisation in the penitentiary system; ensuring electoral participation; women's empowerment and economic strengthening; reforms in the primary healthcare system; financial support for medical services and medication for oncology patients; progress in environmental protection; advancements in social welfare; access to education and improved quality of instruction; and strengthened rights of national and religious minorities.

He further noted that, alongside the positive developments, the report also outlines significant challenges that require thorough analysis.

During the plenary session, R. Ionatamishvili introduced the draft parliamentary resolution on the Public Defender's report, titled "On the State of Human Rights and Freedoms Protection in Georgia in 2024", which is scheduled for a vote in the Parliament later this week.