Judge asks US Ambassador whether he is “sanctioned” for his judgment over Gvaramia

Judge Lasha Chkhikvadze, who stated last week that the US Embassy blocked his trip to America through its funded programme following his verdict to convict Mtavari channel head Nika Gvaramia in May, asked US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan on Monday whether he was “sanctioned” for the judgment.

Chkhikvadze told Imedi TV that he “partially shared” the Ambassador’s position on the “non-interference in the court’s issues.”

“I can partially share the Ambassador’s opinion. I have not said anywhere that in any way the embassy had made any influence on the ongoing  case, on me personally  and on the verdict. However, the fact [that I was removed from the list of the programme and my trip was canceled following the verdict ] remains fact,” Chkhikvadze said.

“For me, the most important question is absolutely unanswered, whether the sanction has been applied to me,” he added.

The judge  reiterated his appeal to “everyone” to refrain from interfering in the court’s issues.

The opposition said that the judge “was fulfilling the demand of the authorities,” which aimed to “discredit the west.”

Tbilisi City Court and its judge Chkhikvadze sentenced the chair of the opposition-minded Mravari channel, former United National Movement official, Nika Gvaramia, to three years and six months in prison for abuse of power while heading Rustavi 2 TV, claiming that the latter’s activities inflicted millions of GEL damage to  the channel.