NGOs accuse candidate for Public Defenders of Georgia of Islamophobia and appeal to Parliament

Several organizations working to protect the rights of non-dominant ethnic and religious groups accused Tinatin Erkvania, a candidate for the Public Defenders of Georgia, of Islamophobia and called on MPs not to support her candidacy.

Tinatin Erkvania is Professor at the School of Law and Politics of the Institute of Public Affairs of Georgia (GIPA). The Human Rights Committee of the Georgian Parliament heard it on Wednesday. According to the NGO, she repeatedly expressed “tactless and hateful opinions.”

For example, when answering a question about the construction of a mosque in Batumi, Erkvania mentioned pan-Turkism and the dangers associated with it.

Speaking about the increasing facts of femicide, the candidate said that, first of all, this is a problem in the south and east of the country, where national minorities live. According to Ekvaniya, the local population has problems of social ethics and mentality.

The Agency for Religious Affairs Ekvantia even proposes to abolish it.

“There was an impression that the appointment of Ms. Tinatin as Public Defender would weaken the position of non-dominant ethnic and religious groups in Georgia and deprive them of an important mechanism in the process of combating discrimination and oppression,” the authors of the appeal point out.

At the same time, NGOs expressed their readiness to meet with Erkvani to discuss her problematic views and criticism from them.

The statement was signed by the Solidarity Platform, the Salami platform, the Solidarity Community, the Center for Civic Inclusion and Activism, the Iormuganlo Community Center, and Youth for Democratic Change.

The term of office of Nino Lomjaria, who has been the Public Defender of Georgia since 2017, expires on December 8. There are 19 candidates running for the position of Ombudsman.

The future Ombudsman must be elected with a quorum of 90 votes for a term of six years.