Public Defender's Office: Claims by Giorgi Davitadze’s lawyer that a representative of the Public Defender advised the convict against undergoing an expert examination are untrue

The information disseminated by the convict’s lawyer—alleging that a representative of the Public Defender advised the convict that conducting an expert examination was inadvisable—is not true; this was stated in a release issued by the Office of the Public Defender.

Furthermore, according to the Ombudsman’s office, the Office of the Public Defender has taken all necessary actions within its mandate to protect Giorgi Davitadze’s rights.

"The Public Defender addresses the information disseminated via media outlets by the side of convicted prisoner Giorgi Davitadze and calls upon that party to immediately cease spreading false information intended to discredit the Public Defender’s representatives.

The information circulated by the convict’s lawyer—alleging that a representative of the Public Defender advised the convict against undergoing a forensic examination—is factually incorrect. Documentation (verified by the prisoner’s signature) confirms that Giorgi Davitadze stated he would consult his lawyer regarding the matter of the forensic examination.

As has been explained on numerous occasions, the Office of the Public Defender has taken all necessary actions to protect Giorgi Davitadze’s rights within the scope of its mandate. Based on an appeal from the Office, an investigation was launched by the Prosecutor's Office, and the monitoring of this process continues to this day. Any attempt to exert influence over the Public Defender’s representatives is concerning and serves neither the interests of the specific prisoner nor protecting the lawful rights of other prisoners," reads the statement.