Ruling party says UNM opposition spreading "absurd" rumors about military

The Georgian Dream ruling party says that the United National Movement has decided to “give a blow” to the Georgian armed forces and its unity through spreading “false and absurd information” as if Georgian soldiers who fought in the Russia-Georgia 2008 war have been abandoned by the government and that they will have to protect their own interests at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The presidential candidate of the United National Movement Grigol  Vashadze has demanded the dismissal of the ministers of justice and foreign affairs as Georgian soldiers participating in the war have been declared "physical entities" who will have to individually defend themselves from the “fake accusations put forward by Russia.”

He also claimed that the Georgian government has stopped providing the court with evidence which would have portrayed Russia’s illegal actions in Georgia in 2008.

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has stated that the statements are “absurd” and aim to mislead the Georgian soldiers and people.

We bow before our veterans, our heroes. The only thing they can expect from the government and the Georgian people is high respect and glory,” Kaladze said

The lie has been invented by those who have committed a crime, those who are trying to shift their crimes onto others with the advice of Russian political technologists,” Kaladze said.

Georgian Justice Minister Thea Tsulukiani explained that there are two courts in the Hague.

Bensouda: The International Criminal Court (ICC) is not tasked to solve a dispute between countries but uncover concrete individuals who committed a crime. Photo: VOA news. 

• The International Court of Justice, ICJ, which is the principal judicial organ of UN which settles legal disputes between member countries and gives advisory opinions to authorized UN organs, and the
• International Criminal Court, ICC, which is an intergovernmental organisation and international tribunal,  which prosecutes individuals [and not states] for genocide crimes, international crimes, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Tsulukiani says ICJ dismissed Georgia’s case against Russia in 2011, under the United National Movement leadership, wherein it accused Russia of ethnic cleansing in the two breakaway Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia during the conflict which took place between 7 and 12 August 2008.

The court said that local mechanisms were left to address the issue.

Tsulukiani says that the reason for the dismissal was “the prematurely drafted suit” by the Georgian government.

The ICC prosecutor launched the investigation of Russia-Georgia conflict in 2015 and both the prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and the Georgian government have stated that Georgia has provided the prosecutor with all necessary information, while Russia refuses to cooperate.

As the court prosecutes certain individuals for war crimes, the Georgian veterans and the participants will be summoned for questioning, as this is the general procedure of the court which is not authorised to settle legal issues between states.

The investigation is still in progress.