“I truly do not take pleasure in anyone’s imprisonment and urge the court to consider more lenient sentences,” said Levan Ioseliani, the Public Defender of Georgia, when asked about the imprisonment of two individuals for insulting MP Mariam Lashkhi.

At the same time, the Ombudsman added that there is no justification for such actions in the presence of children or minors.

“I truly do not take pleasure in anyone’s imprisonment and urge the court to consider more lenient sentences. Imprisonment is an extreme measure, and many alternatives can be applied before resorting to incarceration.

I advocate for a humane approach in this regard. However, there is no justification for such behaviour—such actions in the presence of children or minors are unacceptable, regardless of whether they are the children of an MP or an ordinary citizen.

No child deserves to be placed in a stressful environment because of their parents’ rows. We must recognize this principle. I call on everyone to distinguish clearly between political activities and the private space of public figures and their families, especially when children are involved,” said Levan Ioseliani.

The incident occurred on May 17, when activists approached Lashkhi at a cafe, shouting: “Freedom for the regime’s prisoners,” and “Down with the Russian regime.”

At the time, Lashkhi was with her children. She filed a lawsuit against the activists, condemning their actions as a gross violation of multiple articles of the Children’s Rights Code. She further stated that the incident was not only an attack on a public official but also an assault on core societal values.

In connection with the insult to Mariam Lashkhi, Tatia Afriamashvili and Lika Lortkipanidze were sentenced to 12 days of administrative detention.