Georgian gov’t supports sanctioned judges, both damaging country’s EU integration – ex-PM Gakharia

Giorgi Gakharia, the former prime minister of Georgia and the current head of the For Georgia opposition party, on Monday tweeted the Georgian Dream Government was supporting the judges, who were sanctioned by the US Department of State last week. 

 

“The Government of Georgia supports sanctioned judges. We are witnessing a dangerous blurring of the line between the party and judiciary. Both – the party and the influence group of the court – are sources of political corruption of Ivanishvili’s [in reference to former PM and the founder of the GD Bidzina Ivanishvili] illegal power, [they are] purposefully damaging Georgia’s EU integration interests”, Gakharia said. 

 

The US on Wednesday imposed visa restrictions on acting judges Mikheil Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze, Irakli Shengelia and a former judge Valerian Tsertsvadze for their alleged “involvement in significant corruption”, and “abusing their positions as court chairmen and members of Georgia’s High Council of Justice, undermining the rule of law and the public’s faith in Georgia’s judicial system”.

 

In a meeting with judges in the country’s High Council of Justice on Monday, prime minister Irakli Garibashvili praised the domestic judiciary and “high professionalism” of judges, claiming the US decision had sparked question marks and “no evidence” had been presented to back corruption allegations.