On January 26, 2022, the Public Defender filed an amicus curiae brief with Tbilisi City Court relating to alleged discrimination on political grounds.

The plaintiff alleges that he was dismissed from the position of the Chairperson of the Georgian National Intellectual Property Center – Sakpetenti due to his support to the former Prime Minister of Georgia, Giorgi Gakharia.

In the amicus curiae brief, the Public Defender drew attention to the tendency of dismissal of employees and other alleged violations of labour rights on the grounds of political opinions in the pre-election period of the 2021 local self-government elections.

The Public Defender also emphasized the importance of legal assessment of the motive of dismissal, in particular, whether the dismissal was related to the improper fulfillment of duties by the applicant, as indicated by the respondent, or to his political affiliation with former Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia.