Ruling party head: allegations on biased judiciary over Gvaramia’s case absurd

Head of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Irakli Kobakhidze says that the allegations over biased judiciary in connection with the recent imprisonment of the head of the opposition-minded Mtavari channel Nika Gvaramia, are “groundless,” as well as the warmings of the opposition that the arrest could hamper Georgia’s European integration.

 

“Pseudo-lawyers of the United National Movement opposition claim the absurdity of the verdict, referring to the fact that Gvaramia had agreed to rob Rustavi 2TV station (while heading the channel) with its then owners. This is a completely weak argument – when the illegal owners of the TV station and the CEO agree to rob the channel before rightful owners regain their shares,”| Kobakhidze said on Tuesday.

 

Responding to the opposition’s “fears” that the arrest could hamper the country’s EU integration process as the bloc is expected to make a decision over Georgia’s candidate country status next month, Kobakhidze stated that the “rule of law is essential for an European state.”

 

“EU is not corruption, robbery and injustice, the EU is a rule of law and a society free from corruption, and without the rule of law, Georgia can not become a member of the European family,” Kobakhidze suggested.

 

He noted that Gvaramia was especially rude to the president and If Salome Zourabichvili pardoned the former, it would be an insult to state institutions.

 

Gvaramia was sentenced to three years and six months in prison by Tbilisi City Court on Monday for abuse of power while serving as a director general of Rustavi 2 TV.

 

He was sentenced for causing $2,239,572 damage to Rustavi 2 between 2015-2019. 

 

In 2019 the channel’s 100 percent of shares was returned to former owner Kibar Khalvashi by the European Court of Human Rights and Gvaramia was dismissed from the position he occupied since 2012.