Georgian judge: 'my move to the US is not related to political pressure'
Georgian judge Maia Svianadze, who has emigrated to the United States, says that her departure was not related to a specific case or political pressure but wanted to be close to her child who has been living in the US for 16 years. Photo: High Council of Justice.
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Georgian judge Maia Svianadze, who has emigrated to the United States, says that her departure was not related to a specific case or political pressure but wanted to be close to her child who has been living in the US for 16 years.
Of course, it was not an easy decision, but for me family is much more important than any position. I have been a permanent resident of the United States for a number of years. In recent years I have been planning to move temporarily to live with my family, and this was known to most of my colleagues. Although I made an official statement about the reason for my departure, unfortunately, the public was misled and misinformation was spread", wrote Svianadze in her Facebook post.
Svianadze’s decision to move to the US provoked controversy in Georgia last week; while a non-judge member of the High Council of Justice of Georgia, Nazi Janezashvili, claimed that Svianadze left for the US without warning, the council stated that they knew in advance that Svianadze was going to resign and remain in the US.
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Georgian judge Maia Svianadze has emigrated to the United States after finding a job in New York and deciding to stay in the US. Svianadze’s actions have provoked controversy in Georgia; while a non-judge member of the High Council of Justice of Georgia, Nazi Janezashvili, claims that Svianadze left for the US without warning, the council states that they knew in advance that Svianadze was going to resign and stay in the US.
The US Department of State has released its 45th report on the observance of human rights in countries around the world in 2020, including Georgia.
Acting Justice Minister Gocha Lortkipanidze, who has made history by becoming the first Georgian judge at the Hague-based International Criminal Court for nine-year tenure, was sworn in today. Being elected ICC judge in December 2020, Lortkipanidze previously represented Eastern Europe in the ICC Trust Fund for Victims.
Justice Minister nominee Gocha Lortkipanidze has made history by becoming the first Georgian judge at the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC). In 2018 Lortkipanidze became the first Georgian who was unanimously elected to represent Eastern Europe in the Trust Fund for Victims of the ICC.