Public Defender Ioseliani Meets State Department Officials in Washington

Georgian Public Defender Levan Ioseliani is on an official visit to Washington, where he met with U. S. State Department officials to discuss the human rights situation in Georgia, the Public Defender’s Office said. According to the September 10 statement , Ioseliani met with representatives of the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, and the Office of Foreign Assistance [presumably the current Office of Foreign Assistance Oversight], the agency said in the statement. The agency said that Ioseliani briefed U. S. officials on key human rights trends in Georgia and outlined recommendations from his office.

During the meetings, “particular interest was expressed in freedom of expression, the importance of conducting effective investigations, and the rights of religious and ethnic minorities,” according to the Public Defender Office. The discussions also addressed the human rights situation of people living in Georgia’s Russian-occupied territories, the Office said. According to the statement, Ioseliani highlighted “many years of cooperation” between the Georgian ombudsperson’s office and the U. S. institutions. He also “stressed Georgia’s aspiration to continue moving toward strengthening democratic principles” and expressed hope that “close support from the United States will continue in this process in the future as well. ” Ioseliani’s visit comes amid continued uncertainty but more recent efforts to renew contacts between Tbilisi and Washington. The…