Ruling party MP to US Congressman: previous gov’t, not current, used court as weapon
Ruling party MP Mamuka Mdinaradze says that Gigi Ugulava’s sentence has nothing to do with political persecution.
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Ruling party MP Mamuka Mdinaradze has responded to US Congressman Adam Kinzinger’s concern on the arrest of the opposition leader Gigi Ugulava by saying that the court was used as a weapon under the United National Movement government (UNM) that Ugulava belonged to.
I agree with Mr. Kinzinger that the court must not be a weapon, as it is not democratic. The court is not a weapon under the current state leadership, it was a weapon under the United National Movement government before 2012 [before the Georgian Dream coalition defeated UNM in parliamentary elections],” Mdinaradze said.
Mdinaradze stated that he ‘can say with full responsibility’ to the country’s allies and partners that there is ‘no political persecution’ in the country and ‘this will never happen under the Georgian Dream leadership.’
Gigi Ugulava, leader of European Georgia, was arrested today and sentenced to 38 months in prison for an old crime he’s already served time over. To say this is disturbing would be an understatement. Using courts as a weapon is NOT democracy.
— Adam Kinzinger (@RepKinzinger) February 10, 2020
Unfortunately, we have seen [in the past several weeks] that statements have been made [by the country’s allies] based on biased information. However, they changed their minds after communication with the Georgian government representatives,” Mdinaradze said.
Ugulava, the ex-Tbilisi mayor under the UNM who is now a leader of the European Georgia opposition party, has been sentenced to three years and two months in prison for the alleged embezzlement of 48 million state funds while in office.
Ugulava and the opposition say ‘it is political persecution in the election year.’
The opposition has suspended the 2020 election-related negotiations with the ruling party because of the detention.
The ruling party says that there is ‘no political persecution in the country and if somebody commits a crime he must be held accountable.’
The European Georgia opposition party leader David Bakradze has stated that opposition parties are suspending the dialogue with the ruling Georgia Dream party on 2020 election issue after the sentencing of European Georgia opposition party leader Gigi Ugulava to three years and two months in prison by the Georgian Supreme Court yesterday.
Leader of European Georgia opposition party and ex-Mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava has been sentenced to three years and two months in prison by Georgian Supreme Court for the embezzlement of 48 million GEL from Tbilisi Municipal Development fund while in office. In February 2018 the Tbilisi Court of Appeals also sentenced Ugulava to one year and three months to prison in the case. However, the sentence was absorbed by another sentence Ugulava faced.
Bail has been set at 2,000 GEL for former Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava, who was charged with physical assault after a recent incident involving athletes at Tbilisi International Airport.
Former Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava was charged with physical assault after an incident involving athletes at Tbilisi International Airport yesterday.
British Embassy to Georgia has stated that the recent sentencing of opposition European Georgia leader Gigi Ugulava “leaves unanswered questions” concerning the timing and process. "As a friend and a strategic partner”, it encourages steps “to narrow divisions and reinforce democracy” in Georgia.
Ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party Secretary General, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze and the party’s Executive Secretary Irakli Kobakhidze have offered MEPs in the European parliament to create a special mission, composed of members of different political groups, to look into the embezzlement case involving opposition leader Gigi Ugulava.
Members of the European Parliament have welcomed the offer of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party on the creation of a fact-finding commission into the arrested opposition leader Gigi Ugulava’s case, while the opposition is skeptical of the idea.Ruling party officials proposed MEPs in Strasbourg yesterday to create a commission and come to Georgia to look into Ugulava’s case, ‘to make sure there is no political persecution’ in Georgia.
The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party is ready to accept one of the demands of the opposition for the 2020 elections which will make it impossible for a party to form a government if it receives less than 40 per cent of the vote. Parliament Chair Archil Talakvadze says that the ruling party is making ‘fair and pragmatic offers’ to the opposition to settle the row related to the upcoming parliamentary elections.