Nazi Janezashvili, a non-judge member of the High Council of Justice nominated by non-governmental organizations for the position of Public Defender, refuses to participate in the interviewing process but does not intend to withdraw her candidacy.

According to Janezashvili, the procedure of interviewing applicants for Public Defender did not provide the sense that the goal was to choose an impartial and committed public defender.

“Although the process’s stated goal is to find an impartial candidate, it is evident that the authorities are seeking a Public Defender, who is loyal to them. The inquiries designed to elicit responses from candidates considering previous critical remarks directed against the government demonstrated this. Unfortunately, it looks like campaigning,” Janezashvili noted, adding that if lawmakers wanted to support her nomination, they should be aware of her expertise and skills.

Nazi Janezashvi further stated that Girchi party leader Iago Khvichia’s participation in the competition created a conflicting interest because he was both a member of parliament and the leader of a political party.