Ombudsman Calls for Investigation into Privacy Leakage of GD MP

Georgia’s Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has called on the law enforcers to promptly investigate leakage of footage allegedly showing senior Georgian Dream lawmaker Eka Beselia.

“Another attack on the female politician, the attempt to discredit her. This is the reality the female public figures work in,” Lomjaria stated.

The ombudsman believes that blackmailing with the footages depicting private life has become a systemic problem nowadays.

“In response, we have only the ongoing investigations and the society cannot get the proper information,” she added.

Lomjaria says it is a gender-motivated crime in the political space and it is directed towards female policymakers.

“It is important the investigation underlined that the crime is motivated by discrimination and the persons, who committed them are properly held responsible,” she added.

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili also made a comment regarding the case. According to her, manipulations with information depicting private life must end in Georgia.

“The threat, spread on the Internet, in particular through unidentified web pages, result in significant damage to the society. Therefore, it is crucial to immediately hold an open discussion, through broad public engagement, on this problem,” she added.

Eka Beselia is a senior lawmaker of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party.

She made the first statement about the “deliberate smear campaign” against her on Facebook on January 28. According to her, the video was recorded during the previous government but spread under the current one.

“I need clear answers on who decided to retaliate against me in this form and who had the recordings,” Beselia said.

By Thea Morrison