US Senator Risch expresses disappointment over attacks on journalists in Georgia, Supreme Court judge appointments
He also noted that Senator Shaheen shares his concerns over the recent developments in Georgia. Photo: 1tv.ge.
Tweet 
Share
US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Jim Risch has expressed his disappointment over violent attacks on journalists at the Tbilisi Pride counter rally on July 5 and the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court ‘in contravention of the EU-mediated agreement.’
Risch spoke about the physical assault of 53 journalists by right-wing protesters of the Tbilisi Pride march counter rally in the country’s capital and the death of TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava.
In Georgia, I’m increasingly worried by the steps backward. In the past weeks, more than 50 journalists were beaten – one of them died from his injuries,” said US Senator Risch yesterday.
- Reporter attacked at protest in Tbilisi against July 5 violence
- Foreign state officials, diplomats, media rights groups react to July 5 violence in Tbilisi
He also discussed the appointment of six judges to the Supreme Court, despite calls from the international community, NGOs and opposition for a moratorium on the process in compliance with the EU-mediated agreement, which resolved a political crisis in Georgia caused by the parliamentary elections of 2020.
Several judges were pushed onto the Supreme Court in contravention of the April 19 agreement,” Risch noted.
He also noted that Senator Shaheen shares his concerns over the recent developments in Georgia.
I know Senator Shaheen shares my concerns in that regard, we’ve had a number of discussions on that. I hope you will work to address the issues with Georgia’s government,” said Risch.
Nominee for the U.S. Assistant State Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Karen Donfried in response to Senator Risch’s comments called for the support of the April 19 agreement and noted that electoral and judicial reform is crucial for Georgia.
Opposition politicians responded to the US senator’s statement and noted that if the messages made by the strategic partners will not be taken into account then it will damage the country.
Our American partners see that it is time for political change in the country, but at the same time say that this is a matter for the Georgian people to resolve,” said MP Salome Samadashvili from the faction - Lelo Partnership for Georgia.
Member of Citizens MP Levan Ioseliani stressed the need for changes in the judiciary.
This country needs justice and this is realized by our citizens inside the country and of course by all our friends as well,” said Ioseliani.
Ruling Georgian Dream party MP Mikheil Sarjveladze said that the critical statements of US congressmen are the result of a lack of information.
It was clear in this statement that some information had been given incompletely to the US Congressmen,” Sarjveladze noted.
The US Department of State and the US Embassy to Georgia have called on the Georgian government to uphold the rule of law while investigating the recent attacks on journalists and to suspend the process of appointment of judges until the implementation of comprehensive judicial reform.
Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has responded to frequent attacks on journalists during the last weeks in Georgia, noting that instead of condemning such actions, political officials often show disrespectful attitude towards journalists.
The ruling Georgian Dream party says all conditions of the EU-mediated agreement ending months of political standoff in April 2021 have been fulfilled amid the US State Department’s criticism over the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court. The agreement had called for a moratorium on the appointment of judges before the implementation of wide-scale judicial reforms.
The US State Department has called on the Georgian government to suspend the process of the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court, urging the authorities to implement the April 19 EU-mediated agreement which ended months of a political standoff caused by the parliamentary elections of 2020. The US State Department says that ‘comprehensive, transparent, and inclusive judicial reform’ must be carried out before the process can continue.
The US Embassy to Georgia has stated that the appointment of judges to the country’s Supreme Court is ‘extremely disappointing,’ noting that Georgian leaders, including the ruling Georgian Dream party, failed to fulfil the obligation under the April 19 EU-mediated agreement which ended months of political standoff. The Georgian parliament appointed six judges out of nine candidates to the country’s Supreme Court on July 12, despite calls from the international community, NGOs and opposition to place a moratorium on the process.
The Georgian parliament has appointed six judges to the country’s Supreme Court, despite calls from the opposition, NGOs and the international community to suspend the process in compliance with the EU-mediated agreement which put an end to six months of political tension over the country’s October 2020 parliamentary elections. Parliament made the decision at today’s session, which was delayed after opposition activists and NGO representatives entered parliament and occupied the speaker’s seat, demanding the resignation of PM Garibashvili.
TV Pirveli cameraman Lekso Lashkarava, 36, was found dead at home this morning. Lashkarava was one of the 53 media representatives who were attacked by right-wing groups during the Tbilisi Pride counter rally on June 5.
The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) says the shortcomings in the process of judicial nominations to Georgia’s Supreme Court put the independence of the judiciary in the country at further risk, despite some recent improvements to the transparency and accountability of the process.
State officials, current and former diplomats and media rights organisations have been reacting to the developments in Tbilisi on Monday, where a right-wing demonstration against a planned Tbilisi Pride march for queer rights attacked reporters gathered to cover the eventually cancelled event before also storming offices of Pride organisers.
A Palitranews cameraman who was attacked by right wing activists earlier today has undergone an operation at New Hospitals and is being taken to the med ward at this time. Head of the New Hospitals emergency service Mikheil Beriashvili said that the patient had a head injury and a broken nose.
Anchor of the Georgian Public Broadcaster (GPB) Irakli Absandze has been dismissed from his job ‘for the violation of the channel’s code of conduct,’ particularly stipulations which regulate the use of social media by the GPB’s journalists.