Ruling party head rejects idea that "any Gov’t official" has "issued attacks" on US Ambassador

Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday rejected the idea that “any attack” has been issued by “any Georgian official” against the United States Ambassador in the country.

Kobakhidze was commenting on a statement by the US Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price, who on Wednesday said that “disinformation and personal attacks on Ambassador Degnan or her team are not consistent with how partners communicate with one another”, in remarks related to Georgia.

The GD official made a reference to an allegation by a Georgian judge of being put under pressure by a US Embassy representative, and noted a “reasonable question” could not be regarded as an “attack”.

You cannot remind me of any attack by any Georgian official against the American Ambassador. There were no such attacks. [S]ome questions were asked from our side on two topics - the first topic was related to the fact of possible pressure on the judge by a certain employee of the Embassy”, Kobakhidze said.

When one of the judges accuses an employee of the American Embassy of pressure on behalf of the Ambassador, it is our responsibility to ask questions about it, and in no way can it be described as an attack”, he concluded in his comments.

The comments by Price followed a recent statement by Tbilisi City Court Judge Lasha Chkhikvadze, who on July 15 alleged interference of an Embassy representative in his sentencing of Nika Gvaramia, the founder of the opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi channel, to imprisonment in May.

Degnan said any suggestion of the US interfering in the judicial process in Georgia was “simply not true”.