US Ambassador Degnan dismisses allegations on exercising pressure on a judge

Any statement that there was any interference is not true, US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan said Friday, responding to the allegations of a Tbilisi City Court Judge Lasha Chkhikvadze that the embassy removed him from a programme and canceled his US trip following his judgment in the case of the opposition-minded Mtavari channel head Nika Gvaramia in May of this year. 

“Any claims that there was any interference are not true. For years, the United States of America and the US  Embassy have been working to ensure that Georgia has a reliable, transparent, unbiased and fair judiciary, as it is the cornerstone of the rule of law that we work for,” Degnan said. 

To the question: why was the judge’s visit to the United States canceled,  Degnan responded that “I cannot answer this question for someone else”.

“However, I will tell you that our programmes are open, for the representatives of the judicial system among them, who are willing to contact their colleagues in the United States, to exchange experiences. I think many successful programmes have been implemented. It was useful for both Georgian and American judges. Our programmes are still open to those who wish,” Degnan stated. 

Gvaramia was found guilty of causing a ₾6,763,509 damage to Rustavi 2 TV between 2015-2019, while heading the channel, through advertising deals, and was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for abuse of power. 

Opposition said that it was a politically grounded verdict.