Amid protests, Irakli Shotadze presented as Georgia's GPO head

By majority of votes, the Prosecutorial Council has nominated Irakli Shotadze to the post of Public Prosecutor General of Georgia, although human rights defenders have opposed his return to the post. The opposition has criticized this decision.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on May 31, 2018, Irakli Shotadze stepped down from the above post amid massive protests, provoked by an unfair, according to the public, judgement, which partially acquitted those accused of killing two schoolboys in Tbilisi. On January 4, activists of the human rights organizations "Human Rights Centre" and "Independent Lawyers" held an action in Tbilisi against the return of Irakli Shotadze to the post of Public Prosecutor General of Georgia.

The voting for the candidates to the post took place on February 7. Eleven members of the Prosecutorial Council voted for Irakli Shotadze, and one was against him, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports with reference to the statement of the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO).

According to the law, now the Prosecutorial Council should present its candidate for the post to the Parliament.

The opposition has negatively perceived the decision of the Prosecutorial Council. Bidzina Ivanishvili, the leader of the ruling "Georgian Dream" Party, "needs his people as heads of various structures [...] which is why Shotadze is appointed as the GPO head," Giorgi Gugava, the Political Secretary of the Labour Party, told reporters.

Prior to the sitting of the Prosecutorial Council, a rally was held outside the GPO, at which rights defenders opposed the election of Shotadze, the "Rustavi-2" TV Company has reported.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 8, 2020 at 00:50 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.