Deputy Public Defender resigns

Deputy Public Defender Sopho Khorguani officially resigned from her post on January 26. Giorgi Chkheidze from the International Law Department of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia will substitute her until a replacement is found.

The former Deputy Public Defender stated that she had decided to resign after the capture of Kodori Gorge in August. “I am a refugee from Abkhazia myself and I’ve been arguing with my parents and other elder relatives against fleeing from provocation and abandoning the site. I’m just 34 and could do nothing to avoid the danger created in the country. If I had been working somewhere else I could probably have done at least something to help my people,” she stated.

Khorguani spoke about the disarray she saw in various administrative bodies, especially during the August war. This is what she said had kept her for taking any specific steps concerning her post. “We had many things to do for the IDPs left with nothing but their families,” she said. “But President Saakashvili’s speech on Friday confirmed my decision to resign. What he said about the Public Defender’s Office, and how he said it, was really embarrassing for each employee. The President, who should be the guarantor of the Constitution, called the report of the Public Defender political.”

Khorguani admitted that she spent the night before her official resignation at Gldani Prison with several her colleagues from the office, trying to defend the human rights of the prisoners. “Why should it be called political when a person is just trying to defend someone’s human rights, I wonder?” the former Deputy Public Defender asked The Messenger.

“It’s time for me to speak, act and fight. Although I have nothing against either Government or non-Government parties I have chosen to join the Republicans. All their members are loyal people with worthwhile plans for achieving their goals. I like the unity within the party. I happened to work with many of its members in the UN so I know them well enough, and hope that our collaboration will have positive consequences for the country. It’s important to analyze all the problems in depth. The more time passes the more the situation worsens,” Khorguani stated.

Khorguani still stresses that her decision was prompted simply by her personal attitude and approach towards the situation in the country. She emphasizes the importance of the Public Defender’s Office and has even encouraged her former colleagues to continue working on all issues concerning human rights.

David Usupashvili, the leader of the Republican Party, expressed both his worry that such a competent representative as Sopho Khorguani has left her post at the Public Defender’s Office and his delight that she will join his party in the near future. “To join a particular party or organization is an absolutely private decision for every person but it also depends on the party’s interests. This is the case when both sides share all their interests. We have had serious talks with Khorguani. She still has some details to arrange after her official resignation. It will take about a week or two to settle this matter, but we will start our collaboration in a couple of days,” Usupashvili stated.