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The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) has urged Georgia to suspend the controversial legislation dissolving outspoken State Inspector’s Service, Public Defender Nino Lomjaria stated today.

The ODIHR stressed that the process of abolishing the Service contravened international law and norms on regulating independent institutions. It highlighted that the Georgian Dream-led Parliament violated standards of democratic lawmaking by fast-tracking the changes without prior consultations according to the Public Defender.

Lomjaria said her office had requested the OSCE/ODIHR opinion on the law which will dissolve the Service on March 1 and replace it by Special Investigation and Personal Data Protection agencies. Noteworthy, the Georgian Dream lawmakers endorsed the chiefs for the two new agencies, a month after pushing through the legislation.