US sanctions on Georgian judges “unfair”, “unacceptable” - Vice Parliament Speaker
Archil Talakvadze, the Vice Speaker in the Georgian Parliament, on Thursday responded to the US decision to sanction Georgian judges. Photo: Archil Talakvadze’s Facebook
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Archil Talakvadze, the Vice Speaker in the Georgian Parliament, on Thursday said the United States Department of State’s decision on Wednesday to impose sanctions on four Georgian judges was “unfair”, "absolutely unacceptable” and “incompatible” with the strategic cooperation between the states.
The State Department imposed visa restrictions on four senior judges - Mikheil Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze, Irakli Shengelia and Valerian Tsertsvadze - for their alleged “involvement in significant corruption”.
The release for the ruling said the judges had “abused their positions as court chairmen and members of Georgia’s High Council of Justice, undermining the rule of law and the public’s faith in Georgia’s judicial system”.
In comments for the media, Talakvadze stressed the decision required to be “seriously considered”, adding it was not an “easy topic”.
It is regrettable our friendship and strategic relations have reached the point where we speak to each other in the language of sanctions”, the Parliamentary official said.
He claimed the country had ensured improvements in its judiciary under the sanctioned judges, with the number of suits against Georgia in the European Court of Human Rights reduced by 60 percent.
The Vice Speaker claimed individuals and the Georgian state were also “equally winning” cases in domestic courts, in contrast to the situation under the previous authorities when he said the former had lower chances of winning.
Talakvadze also noted one of the three judges, Tsertsvadze, was no longer occupying a position in the court system.
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Archil Talakvadze, the Georgian Parliament’s Vice Speaker, on Monday claimed the “radical” domestic opposition had “used the youth for their political purposes” during last month’s protests in Tbilisi against the proposed bill on transparency of foreign influence.
The Georgian Government will ensure the European Union membership application questionnaire, handed to them by European authorities, is completed with a “highest involvement” of all institutions, Parliament Vice Speaker Archil Talakvadze said on Thursday.
Parliament Speaker Archil Talakvadze has announced his resignation today, however, he will continue his parliamentary activities as vice speaker. Talakvadze explained at a news briefing that following the recent political dialogue with the opposition and the consequent EU-proposed agreement, he decided to quit the speaker’s position.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday claimed “corruption processes” behind the United States Department of State’s decision to designate four Georgian former and current judges for sanctions for their “involvement in significant corruption”.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday highlighted a lack of Western sanctions on the Georgian judiciary under the previous United National Movement Government, where he said the system had been used as a “repressive tool”, in comments following the United States Department of States’ sanctioning of four current and former Georgian judges.
Georgian judges Levan Murusidze and Valerian Tsertsvadze on Thursday called the decision of the United States Department of State to impose travel restrictions on them for alleged corruption “unfair” and “politically grounded”.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili on Thursday addressed his American counterpart Anthony Blinken with a letter following the Department of State’s public sanctioning of four Georgian judges under the visa restrictions authority.
Grigol Liluashvili, the Head of the Georgian State Security Service, on Thursday confirmed that a citizen of the United States had been denied entry into Georgia due to his alleged involvement in the “training of destructive groups” during the last month's protests against the bill on transparency of foreign influence, with the clashes of demonstrators with law enforcement outside the Parliament building in Tbilisi.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday said the United States Department of State’s “personal attack” on four Georgian judges it had sanctioned on Wednesday, and its labelling of the individuals as “corrupt” was “absolutely unacceptable”, adding “partners do not act like that”.
Georgian judge Irakli Shengelia, one of four sanctioned by the United States Department of State last week, on Monday said he was going to appeal the decision in a US court.
Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Monday urged the United States Department of State to lift the visa restrictions it imposed on three acting and one former Georgian judges for “significant corruption” in April “as soon as possible”, due to an “absence of evidence” against them.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Friday said the United States’ decision in April to impose visa restrictions on three acting and one former Georgian judges for “significant corruption” had come “without evidence” and was a “gross violation” of the country’s judicial independence and its constitution.
The Georgian State Security Service on Friday said it was “studying” the sanctioning of Otar Partskhaladze, the former Prosecutor General of Georgia under the Georgian Dream Government, by the United States Department of State this week.
The National Bank of Georgia on Monday rejected as “absolutely groundless” claims by non-governmental organisations that alleged the Georgian Government and the Bank were “shielding” four Georgian judges and a former Prosecutor General who have been sanctioned by the United States Department of State.