Parliament Speaker highlights US contribution to developing Georgian judiciary, expects US Embassy to be "as transparent as possible" on Tbilisi City Court judge allegations
The head of the legislative body stressed the “contribution” the United States had made to the “development” of the judicial system in the country. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili on Tuesday said he expected the United States Embassy in Tbilisi to be "as transparent as possible" over allegations of its interference by Tbilisi City Court Judge Lasha Chkhikvadze, and make clarifications over the matter "if necessary".
Papuashvili was commenting on a statement released by Tbilisi City Court Judge Lasha Chkhikvadze, who on July 15 alleged interference of a US Embassy representative in his sentencing of Nika Gvaramia, the founder of the opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi channel, to imprisonment in May.
The head of the legislative body stressed the “contribution” the United States had made to the “development” of the judicial system in the country.
We heard a very strong statement from the judge that maybe we are dealing with pressure [on the judge] or with a discriminatory approach. Unfortunately, instead of a clear explanation, there is ambiguity”, Papuashvili said.
I would expect the United States Embassy to be as transparent as possible in this regard, and if there is a need to make clarifications, [...] to find a form and make those clarifications”, he concluded in his comments.
Kelly Degnan, the United States Ambassador to Georgia, on July 15 said any suggestion of the US interfering in the judicial process in Georgia was “simply not true”.
In his comments, Chkhikvadze had alleged Kevin Burke, a representative of the US Embassy from the US Department of Justice, had asked him questions about the case of Gvaramia and told him the US Ambassador was “wondering why I had approved the guilty verdict in the case, and in particular, the reason for my use of imprisonment as punishment [for Gvaramia]”.
The judge called on political parties, diplomatic corps, international and non-governmental organisations in Georgia to refrain from “putting pressure” on the Georgian court and allow judges to administer justice in a “peaceful environment”.