Georgian ruling party figures slam Ukraine, CoE for featuring wanted former official at int’l event
Irakli Kobakhidze, the ruling party head, said the former official Zurad Adeishvili was “not only accused of specific crimes [in Georgia], but he was the creator of one of the ugliest repressive machines in the world over the years”. Photo: imedi TV
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The head of the ruling Georgian Dream party and MPs from the faction on Tuesday criticised Ukrainian authorities for promoting Zurab Adeishvili, the wanted former prosecutor general and justice minister of Georgia, as a senior advisor to the Ukrainian prosecutor general, condemning his recent presence at the Council of Europe along with his chief to discuss Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine.
Describing Adeishvili’s participation in the meetings with CoE officials as a “grave event”, Irakli Kobakhidze, the ruling party head, said the former official was “not only accused of specific crimes [in Georgia], but he was the creator of one of the ugliest repressive machines in the world over the years”.
In reference to Adeishvili’s featuring at the European institution, Kobakhidze said “such incidents” pointed to Georgian authorities’ “one-sided friendship and solidarity” with Ukraine.
To put it mildly, hosting a convicted felon & an infamous sadist in the institution that serves as the guarantor of #HumanRights & the #RuleOfLaw is unbecoming. Adeishvili must answer for his own crimes before he can investigate the crimes of others. @CoE_HRightsRLaw https://t.co/IFvphQjVhD
— Levan Karumidze (@KarumidzeL) October 18, 2022
We are connected with the government of Ukraine by a one-sided friendship, one-sided solidarity and one-sided consideration of interests, which is something very hard and unacceptable”, the party head said in his remarks referencing Georgian authorities’ support for Ukraine in its defence from the ongoing Russian invasion.
“A person [Adeishvili] who trampled human rights, built a repressive machine [and] was terrorising businesses is now walking at international structures on behalf of the Ukrainian government”, Kobakhidze said, calling the development “very negative” but noting the Georgian government would stick to its friendly relations with Ukraine.
In response to Adeishvili’s presence at CoE, ruling party MP Levan Karumidze said “to put it mildly, hosting a convicted felon and an infamous sadist at an institution that serves as a guarantor of human rights and the rule of law is unbecoming”.
Helsinki Commission senior advisor Michael Hikari Cecire also responded to the development by tweeting photographs of the event and adding “If you want to know what gets many Georgians so riled up, it is seeing ex-Justice Minister Adeishvili playing statesman”.
If you want to know what gets many Georgians so riled up, it's seeing ex Justice Minister Adeishvili playing statesman. His tenure saw countless abuses that led to the UNM's ejection in 2012, but Adeishvili hid under Viktor Orban's skirts for years in Hungary. https://t.co/LJTGwtycP2
— Michael Hikari Cecire ???????? (@mhikaric) October 17, 2022
Cecire noted Adeishvili’s tenure in the previous Georgian government had seen “countless abuses that led to the [United National Movement’s] ejection in 2012 [elections], but Adeishvili hid under Viktor Orban's skirts for years in Hungary”.
- Adeishvili was sentenced to one year and six months in prison in 2020 in absentia for the illegal closure of Iberia TV by state authorities back in 2004. He has also been sentenced in absentia for the illegal raid on Imedi TV in 2007, illegal confiscation of Akura vinery and abuse of office in the Cartu Bank case.
- In January 2021 Adeishvili was sentenced to six years in prison in absentia for kidnapping and abuse of official authority in the case of former opposition leader Koba Davitashvili.
- The former justice minister left Georgia on the day of the 2012 parliamentary elections in Georgia that saw the Georgian Dream coalition defeat the United National Movement.