Public Defender Presented a Parliamentary Report on Human Rights

Public Defender Presented a Parliamentary Report on Human Rights

15.12.2005, “Media News” – Ombudsman Sozar Subari presented a report to the Human Rights and Civil Integration Committee of the Parliament.

According to Subari, instances of religious discrimination were still taking place in 2005 in Georgia. Mainly Baptists, Jehovah’s Witnesses and other religious minorities are discriminated. “They are insulted and are not permitted to rent or renovate their offices. In one of the regions, someone has stolen the keys of a Baptist’s office. We suspect that the brother of the former Deputy of Akhmeta was involved in the incident,” – said the Ombudsman.

He also said that Greeks are the most discriminated minority in Georgia, but added that this discrimination is not determined by the political factors.

Subar also talked about the problem of homeless children.

“There are several projects to solve the problems of homeless children. The projects can help integration of children into families. This will solve many problems, as most of the homeless children are involved in prostitution, drugs and criminality. It is clear that no one wants to live with this kind of youth,”- said Sozar Subari.

According to members of the Parliamentary oppositional coalition ‘New Right Wingers’, Ombudsman Sozar Subari did not present all the facts concerning the limitations on the freedom of speech in his Parliamentary report.

Members of that oppositional fraction expressed their dissatisfaction towards Subari's human rights report.

Member of the oppositional coalition Konstantin Guntsadze said that the report did not deal with the situation of the media. According to the MP, the Ombudsman wants to blame media owners for all the problems existing between them and the authorities, whereas "media owners are being intimidated just like everybody else".