Georgian Vice-PM slams Norwegian Conservative Party for awarding ex-Pres. Saakashvili for democracy, human rights
Thea Tsulukiani, the Vice Prime Minister of Georgia, has responded to ex-Pres. Saakashvili’s award. Photo: Government press office
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Thea Tsulukiani, the Vice Prime Minister of Georgia, on Monday criticised the Norwegian Conservative Party for awarding the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili with the Sjur Lindebrække Prize for Democracy and Human Rights.
Saakashvili on Saturday announced he had received the Prize that has been handed to individuals or organisations for their “extraordinary work” for human rights and democracy since 2007.
Describing Saakashvili as a “sadist” who had violated human rights in a “number of cases” while in office, Tsulukiani said it was a “problem” both in Georgia and abroad that “sometimes black is said to be white”.
The former Minister of Justice, who currently heads the Culture Ministry, stressed Saakashvili’s guilt had been confirmed by rulings of the European Court of Human Rights over the years.
We do not even know what to say when a lie is taken as the truth and a criminal is rewarded as a dove of peace. This is simply shameful", said the official.
Saakashvili, who has Ukrainian citizenship and held a public post in the country, was arrested on return to Georgia in October 2021 and is serving a six-year term for abuse of power in a case he had been convicted on. Three other cases against him are pending.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday said the awarding of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili with Norway’s Sjur Lindebrekke Award for promotion of human rights and democracy was a “mockery” and an “insult” to Georgia’s citizens.
Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Monday said neither the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili nor his family and legal team had requested involvement of foreign medical professionals in his treatment following an offer by the Georgian authorities.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Committee on Human Rights, on Tuesday said the opposition United National Movement party was trying to help the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili avoid having to serve the rest of his sentence and "running a PR campaign" for the purpose.
Georgian justice minister Rati Bregadze on Tuesday said the government was offering the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili to bring “any doctor from any foreign clinic” and involve them in his treatment in Georgia.
Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Lasha Darsalia and Helene Sand Andresen, the Norwegian Ambassador to the country, on Tuesday met to discuss the presentation of a human rights award by the Conservative Party of Norway to Georgia’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and the diplomat’s response to the event.
Officials of the ruling Georgian Dream party on Tuesday criticised the Norwegian Conservative Party for awarding the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili with the Sjur Lindebrække Prize for Human Rights and Democracy, a move they said was “cynical” towards the Georgian state and its citizens.
Giorgi Kakhiani, an MP of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili receiving awards for his work for freedom or human rights from “certain foreign states” was an “insult” to individuals who had experienced “severe violations” of their rights under the rule of his former United National Movement Government.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Friday said the Conservative Party of Norway’s granting of the Sjur Lindebrekke Award for human rights and democracy promotion to Georgia’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili earlier this year was “insulting” given the human rights violations of the latter’s former Government.