CoE Human Rights Commissioner voices concern over Georgian constitutional amendment to “protect family values”

Dunja Mijatović, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, on Wednesday said she was concerned about the “present political discourse” in Georgia, following the announcement made by the ruling Georgian Dream party of their initiative to amend the constitution with a law on “protection of family values and underage persons”.

The party announced the “broad constitutional amendment” on Monday, ahead of introduction of “several dozen” specific bills “in the near future”.

Mamuka Mdinaradze, the head of GD in the Parliament, said it was the ruling team’s “responsibility” to protect constitutional rights and freedoms “no matter how unconventional and different their lifestyle may be”, while also “protecting family values in a very principled way”.

In her comments, Mijatović said the introduction of the amendments was “reflective of entrenched harmful stereotypes and prejudice against LGBTI people which still prevail in segments of Georgian society, including some politicians, and is capable of having a strong, negative impact on the human rights, safety and well-being of LGBTI people and defenders of their rights”.  

“It also represents the political manipulation of LGBTI-phobia in the run-up to elections, which I have previously condemned, and which should have no place in a democratic society, based on the rule of law and respect for human rights of everyone”, she continued.

The official called on the Georgian authorities to “fully respect their human rights obligations” as a member state of the Council of Europe, including with regard to protecting the human rights of LGBTI people and “ensuring an enabling environment for the activities of civil society and human rights defenders”.