In what amounts to an attempt to ignore the issue, according to opposition lawmakers, Parliament passed a resolution on July 11 with 116 votes to 17 saying it “has taken note of the Public Defender’s report” on human rights.

Sozar Subari, the Public Defender, spoke of property rights abuses, the misuse of police power and problems in the judiciary, while addressing Parliament in late May.

In accordance with parliamentary procedures, a resolution must be passed in response.

An initial draft resolution, presented by Elene Tevdoradze, chairperson of the parliamentary committee for human rights, was acceptable to the opposition.

It included recommendations for the executive to study the reported cases of excessive use of force by the police. It also recommended that the General Prosecutor’s Office initiate a criminal investigation into the reported abuse of human rights in the Abkhaz and South Ossetian conflict zones.

An influential lawmaker from the ruling National Movement party, Giga Bokeria, however, rejected this initial draft, saying that there was no need to replicate the Public Defender’s recommendations in the parliament’s resolution.

“The resolution saying: ‘Parliament has taken note of the report’ - is quite appropriate,” he said.

He also said that the Public Defender’s report was “for the most part” politically-motivated, “although, I agree with some parts of the report.”