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The Georgian public defender expresses his concern about the legislative changes adopted by the Parliament

The Georgian public defender expresses his concern about the legislative changes adopted by the Parliament

Georgian public defender Levan Ioseliani expressed concern on Friday about several “significant legislative changes” passed by Parliament in the past week, amid ongoing protests against the Government’s decision to suspend EU accession talks until 2028 , stating that “I don’t. respect human rights standards”.

Ioseliani noted that the legislative process was “rushed” despite the “substantial nature of the amendments” and was carried out without the “involvement of the interested public or specialists in the field”, which he said was “harmful to the legislative process in general and is not welcome” . .

He said the changes in question included changes to the Public Service Act and noted that the bill eventually passed now prevents “persons dismissed from the public service due to reorganization from applying for reinstatement, placing them in an unequal position.”

The official also added other amendments introduced during the second hearing of the law, stating that the heads of primary structural units and their deputies “will no longer be considered professional civil servants” and will be appointed on the basis of administrative agreements, which Ioseliani claimed “reduces their work. protects the rights and undermines the principles of career advancement, merit, and stability,” while the changes also applied to employees at similar levels in Georgia’s public law entities.

Ioseliani also addressed a recently adopted bill that prohibits participants in public gatherings or protests from using masks “or other means of covering their faces”, in a development amid ongoing demonstrations against the Government’s decision, and said international human rights standards, as well as the practice of the European Court of Human Rights, indicated that such measures “must balance freedom of expression with security concerns”.

He also criticized the amendments, which increased fines and introduced additional administrative penalties for certain violations, saying the changes could represent an “undue burden on the population, given the financial challenges faced by many Georgian citizens.” .