US concerned by Georgia’s summons of ex-President Saakashvili
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The US Government has voiced concern over Georgian authorities' decision to call former President Mikheil Saakashvili for questioning in multiple criminal investigations.
"No one is above the law but launching multiple simultaneous investigations involving a former president raises legitimate concerns about political retribution, particularly when legal and judicial institutions are still fragile," US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement on March 23.
The Foreign Minister of Georgia Maia Panjikidze appraised concern by the US over Saakashvili’s summoning and said they would take advice from the US extremely seriously as was "the most important strategic partner of Georgia”.
"The US is the greatest friend and strategic partner of Georgia. We always pay the greatest attention to any of their statements,” Panjikidze said.
"As it is said in their statement "no one is above the law” and we share that opinon. But we have to be careful because law enforcement agencies are still fragile in Georgia. This is the starting point of this statement,” she said.
The Foreign Minister believed the US knew the Georgian law enforcement agencies were weak but the court system has never been as free as it was currently.
"The processes have to be implemented transparently and justly and this is the guarantee we would give to our international partners,” Panjikidze said, speaking from The Hague where she is attending the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit.
Regarding the statement where the US State Department argued Georgia must "focus the nation's energies on the future”, Panjikidze answered that this was the path Georgia was on.
"Georgia is oriented to developing the economy as well as implementing reforms that are important to achieving this goal,” she said.
Minister of Justice Tea Tsulukiani believed Saakashvili could be called by the Prosecution as a witness.
"No one in the world has a guarantee that he would not be called upon in a criminal case by the Prosecution. This is happening in countries all over the world, including Georgia,” she said.
On March 22 former Georgian President Saakashvili has been summoned to the Chief Prosecutor's Office of Georgia to be questioned as a witness on a number of high-profile cases including the 2005 death of then Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania.
Saakashvili is not in Georgia as he left the country soon after his second term ended in November last year. He has taken up a post lecturing at Boston's Tufts University.
When asked by Georgian journalists in the Netherlands if he would return home to be questioned, Saakashvili said: "I am not going to make Putin's dreams come true by arriving in Tbilisi for questioning.”
The country's current Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has threatened to put the former President on a wanted list if he failed to appear.
Ex-president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili believes it is Russia's President who is interested in questioning him. He has been summoned to be questioned as a witness in about ten cases by the Georgian Prosecutor's Office.
Members of UNM are criticizing Government for summoning ex- President Mikheil Saakashvili to the Chief Prosecutor's Office of Georgia to be questioned as a witness on a number of high-profile cases.
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has been summoned to the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia to be questioned as a witness on a number of high-profile cases.
Georgian Prime Minister is ready to answer all questions concerning ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili and his summons by the Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia to be questioned in relation to a number of high-profile cases.
A local NATO representative believes it is important for NATO-led allies not to use revenge tactics against its political opponents.
Garibashvili, who is visiting The Hague to participate in the international Nuclear Security Summit, noted that no one approached him to speak about the Saakashvili's summoning during his meetings with Western leaders in The Hague.
Chairman of Georgian Parliament Davit Usupashvili regards the US were offering "friendly advice” when commenting on Georgia’s summoning of former President Mikheil Saakashvili.
The European Union’s Ambassador to Georgia has advised the country not to get concerned over its partners giving recommendations surrounding the country’s ex-President’s summons to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office.
Several people were detained by Georgian law enforcers after a clash outside the Chief Prosecutor’s Office where former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was expected to be questioned today.
The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia has proposed ex-President Mikheil Saakasvili can answer investigator’s questions via video chat so he does not have to return to Georgia.
The ex-President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili is refusing to be questioned via video-conference after he failed to appear for a court summons.
Georgia’s ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili’s refusal to be questioned via video conference has been assessed as "wrong” and "incomprehensible” by the country’s Cabinet members.
The United States (US) is voicing its ongoing support of Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic future but is weary of the continuing investigations into alleged criminal acts of former officials.