According to Public Defender Levan Ioseliani, the meeting with OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pere Joan Pons Sampietro addressed the human rights situation in Georgia and developments following protest actions.

As Ioseliani told journalists after the meeting, the discussion also covered legislative initiatives recently initiated and adopted by the authorities.

“It was a very important and interesting meeting. They were mainly interested in information about human rights. We discussed around the report I presented in Parliament last year, which concerned the events that took place on the streets of Tbilisi in December 2024, including the situation of people currently in prison. We also talked about the investigation launched into these cases, which unfortunately has not been fully completed. They received detailed information from me on these issues,” — stated Ioseliani.

As for the positions and assessments of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President, Ioseliani said he could not speak on their behalf.

According to the Public Defender, the meeting also addressed citizens injured during the protests, including journalists.

“It would be difficult for me to voice their position instead; they will probably speak themselves. I can talk about the work I carry out as Public Defender. As you probably know, I have filed a constitutional claim in court demanding changes to parts of the adopted legislation, because I believe it does not comply with international standards and the Constitution of Georgia. The constitutional claim concerns legislation that imposes criminal liability for repeated offenses, bans wearing masks, and so on. A significant part of our meeting was devoted to discussing cases of citizens harmed as a result of the protests — including journalists — the state's response to these issues, and our role. I provided them with information around all of this,” — stated Ioseliani.

In addition, Levan Ioseliani spoke about recent legislative changes and explained that the Public Defender’s Office is also studying laws adopted in the recent period, and if they find that any contradict international standards or the Constitution, they will challenge them.

“As for the recent changes, the review is ongoing. If we see that they also contradict international standards or our Constitution, of course they will be challenged,” — stated Ioseliani.

At the same time, according to the Ombudsman, the use of administrative detention has increased in the recent period, and the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation also had questions about this.

“The cases of administrative detention have increased compared to previous years. This was also discussed, and the question was raised whether courts today frequently use administrative detention — yes, that is the case. I can confirm this. I can say that in 2025, administrative detention as a measure is being applied more frequently than it was in 2024 or 2023,” — stated Ioseliani.

For information: As part of their visit to Georgia, members of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly delegation have already met with Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili, as well as Mikheil Kavelashvili, Interior Minister Gela Geladze, and opposition representatives.

The delegation arrived in Georgia on March 8 and will conclude its visit today. It is led by OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pere Joan Pons Sampietro. The delegation also includes: OSCE PA Vice-President and Special Representative for the South Caucasus Luis Grasa (Portugal); Vice-Chair of the Committee on Political Affairs and Security Jevrosima Pejović (Montenegro); Vice-Chair of the Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions Christine Blower (United Kingdom); and OSCE PA Secretary General Roberto Montella.