Georgia’s PM reacts to internet comments of world leaders

The Prime Minister of Georgia is proudly supporting the country’s move to impose fines on its former leader after Swedish and Lithuanian officials used social media to voice their opinion on the case.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvil engaged in an online debate with Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, who wrote on Twitter that if PM Garibashvili did not want to listen to the opinions of Georgia’s "best friends” in the European Union, that was his choice but the move would be noted.

Bildt’s comments were in response to a statement Garibashvili made earlier today claiming Bildt and Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius were from "a club of Saakashvili’s friends”.

Meanwhile yesterday the Lithuanian official tweeted charges imposed by Georgia on the country’s former president could possibly be "selective justice” and if so, this was "incompatible” with European integration. He called on the Georgian Government to "avoid such practice” and remove any doubts.

Today PM Garibashvili was asked about Linkevicius’ tweet, to which he responded: "I will explain it very simply. I want to explain it to the public. This is kind of a club of Saakashvili’s friends who have certain obligations of friendship and they are just expressing their sympathy.”

"Unfortunately they were not aware of the awful things that had been happening in Georgia for years. Even [during] the war, it was absolutely terrible to see footage … during the 2008 war which showed the commander-in-chief running away,” Garibashvili told journalists at the commemoration of Georgian soldiers fallen in the August 2008 war.

On Wednesday Bildt voiced concern over Saakashvili’s prosecution and wrote on Twitter: "Georgia’s authorities deviate from European path in using justice system for revenge. Does damage to the country.”

In a separate tweet, Bildt alsowrote: "there is rising international concern over the policies of revenge in Georgia. Damages the country.”

Today PM Garibashvili reaffirmed in his comment that the Georgian Government would spare no efforts while investigating Saakashvili’s case and said the investigation would be transparent.

"We will do our best to let the entire world know the truth about what was happening in Georgia during the nine years when Saakashvili was in power. The truth will never be lost. Personally I will do utmost to let everyone – not only our people, but to the entire world as well –know this truth,” Garibashvili said.

"Comments, including from our friends [that claim] we don’t investigate crimes committed in past years is against the principles of democracy. No one is above the law,” he said.