Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Dunja Mijatović on November 23 called unacceptable the "public attacks of Georgian MPs" on Ombudsman Nino Lomjaria for the work she and her office are doing in connection with the detention and hunger strike of former President Mikheil Saakashvili.

The statement was made after the chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream, Irakli Kobakhidze, on November 18 called the conclusion of a group of doctors set up by the ombudsman to monitor the health condition of former President Mikheil Saakashvili a "fake" and held them "directly responsible" for the possible consequences.

The Council of Europe's Commissioner for Human Rights said this issue was at the top of her agenda during her November 22 meeting with visiting Georgian Dream Chairman Irakli Kobakhidze and Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for European Integration Maka Bochorishvili in Strasbourg.

Dunja Mijatović praised Nino Lomjaria and her office "for their efforts to maintain the highest standards of protection of persons subject to the jurisdiction of the Georgian authorities.

The Commissioner noted that under the Venice Commission's guidelines for the protection and promotion of the ombudsman institution, member states are obliged to effectively protect their ombudsmen "against any threats or actions aimed at preventing their effective functioning."

"I call on the Georgian authorities to ensure that the Public Defender, his office and related experts can work in an environment that will help them carry out their mandate independently, effectively and safely," Dunja Mijatović said.

According to her, it is crucial for all Georgian citizens, as well as the country's international partners, to be able to rely on the experience of the Public Defender.

The Office of the Ombudsman called on the UN, the Council of Europe, OSCE/ODIHR, as well as diplomatic missions accredited in Georgia to examine the statement of Georgian Dream leader Irakli Kobakhidze as "an attempt to attack and intimidate the independent constitutional body and its experts."