President Margvelashvili comments on ex-PM Merabishvili’s case

President Giorgi Margvelashvili of Georgia says that everything should be done in accordance of the law and no special exceptions should be made for the ex-PM Vano Merabishvilis or any other cases.

"Citizen Merabsihvili, and this time, the accused Merabishvili has his own rights and these rights should be protected. So, the questions about him should be asked not to politicians, but to lawyers, who need to explain what exactly the law says in this case. It would be very good if the juridical society express its position towards this particular case, what kind of interpretations the law gives us, Margvelashvili stated.

The President believes that the Prosecutors office will meet the highest Western standards while deciding this case, as special interest will be paid to the cases about which some people think is political persecution.

Vano Merabishviliaccusedthe Chief Prosecutor Otar Partskhaladze of using pressure and threats. Merabishvili made a statement about this during his trial on December 17. According to him, early Saturday morning, he was taken to the Department of Penitentiary System secretly and asked to disclose information about the death of former PM Zurab Zhvania and the financial account of the Ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili. Merabishvili refused further participation in court hearings and also prohibited his lawyers from participating.

The former PMs statement was followed with debates and allegations between the ruling party and UNM. The opposition demands that the Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance to make the prison surveillance recordings public, in order to find out whether or not Merabishvili did leave his cell. The parliamentary majority, however, argues that the recording can be only published in accordance with the law. They also believe that the investigation has to be carried out in regard to Merabishvilis statement and the offender punished appropriately. At the same time, the Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance says that he does not think an investigation will start on "such an unrealistic case.