Speaker Papuashvili calls on US lift sanctions on Georgian judges “as soon as possible”

Georgian parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday called on the US State Department to remove visa restrictions it imposed on three acting and former Georgian judges on April 5 due to “significant corruption” and “abusing their positions” in domestic courts. 

 

Speaking with the media, the official claimed despite the request of the Georgian authorities, the US had presented “no evidence” to back the sanctions so far. 

 

“No one, especially judges, should be attacked without evidence. I call on the US Department of State to lift the sanctions as soon as possible”, Papuashvili said, claiming the domestic judiciary had “passed all tests of dignity”. 

 

The US State Department imposed sanctions on acting judges Mikheil Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze and Irakli Shengelia, and a former judge Valerian Tsertsvadze, with domestic organizations accusing the judges of running a “clan in courts affiliated with the government”.