Vice-PM urges president not to encourage court to “anything” over Saakashvili

Tea Tsulukiani, the country’s vice-prime minister and minister of culture, on Friday called on the country’s president Salome Zourabichvili not to make “any encouragements” to the court over imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakshvili, in response to Zourabichvili’s recent  calls to the court to ensure a “worthy judgment” over Saakashvili if a health report pointed to serious complications. 

“The court is independent and let no one, including the president of Georgia, intend to call the judge to make any type of decision, the judge knows best what decision to make”, said the former justice minister.  

“We have listened carefully to the statement of the president. Of course, it is interesting what she thinks, because as you know, only she has the right to pardon. This is her complete discretion, and we know that her position regarding Saakashvili’s pardon was strongly negative. I very much hope that her position has not changed”, Tsulukiani said. 

In her comments earlier this week, Zourabichvili said if the court allowed Saakashvili’s extradition abroad for treatment based on a proper medical report, it would “prove” domestic courts are “impartial”. 

Tsulukiani said that Georgian courts “are unbiased” under the current Georgian Dream authorities.