Georgian judges call US sanctions on them “unfair”, “politically grounded”
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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”.
Responding to the sanctions in his social media post, Tsertsvadze claimed he had left the judiciary six years ago and taken no public posts since then, claiming the DoS decision could be aimed at “gaining influence” in the Georgian court and “discrediting” it.
He also claimed absence of “facts or evidence” that would confirm the allegations, and added they had been made “without any justification and in violation of the presumption of innocence”, and were based on “political grounds”.
Murusidze also said he had “done nothing” to become a subject of the sanctions, adding while the outcome was negative for him personally, “I will cope with it somehow”.
He claimed by sanctioning the judges, the State Department had “sent a message” to their colleagues in the country that if they refused to “make decisions that are acceptable” to the US Embassy in Tbilisi they would be “treated the same way”.
The judge claimed the corruption allegations had been used as a “mask” to “disguise the attempts of capturing” the domestic judiciary by the supposed American influence.
Murusidze accused the Embassy of having used domestic non-governmental organisations, “several” opposition parties and international organisations to achieve the goal through “fake allegations” on a “clan of judges” being involved in the running of the Georgian court system.
US Embassy representatives would come to me for years to offer desirable candidates in the High Council of Justice, or decisions by the body. I can back my words with evidence”, Murusidze said.
He also brought up the example of judge Lasha Chkhikvadze, who last year accused the Embassy of exerting pressure on him for the ruling that found Nika Gvaramia, the founder of the opposition-minded Mtavari Arkhi channel, guilty in a case over financial damage caused to Rustavi 2 channel
The State Department imposed visa restrictions on four judges - Murusidze, Tsertsvadze, Mikheil Chinchaladze and Irakli Shengelia - 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”.
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”.
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.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said the statement by the United States embassy that lamented this week’s court decision keeping Mtavari Arkhi TV director in imprisonment was a “direct interference” in the independence of the country’s judiciary.
The judiciary in Georgia is independent of political processes and court decisions bear no political impact, Levan Davitashvili, the Georgian Economy Minister and Vice Prime Minister, said on Monday following claims by supporters of Nika Gvaramia, the former Rustavi 2 channel Director, of persecution following his sentencing by Tbilisi City Court for abuse of powers.
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 President Salome Zourabichvili on Friday said the move by the United States Department of State to impose visa restrictions on four Georgian judges “should not become a reason for further deepening of political polarisation” in the country.
Thea Tsulukiani, the Georgian Vice Prime Minister, on Monday said her Government was “demanding evidence” behind the United States Department of State’s decision to impose visa restrictions on four Georgian judges for alleged corruption.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday said Otar Partskhaladze - the former Prosecutor General of the country who was recently sanctioned by the United States Department of State for “influencing Georgian society and politics for the benefit of Russia” - had held “no connection” with state structures “for the last 10 years”.
Georgian Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili on Friday said linking “any individual” associated with Western sanctions to the Georgian state was “speculation”, after the United States Department of State on Thursday announced sanctions on Otar Partskhaladze, the former Prosecutor General of Georgia, for “influencing Georgian society and politics for the benefit of Russia”.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday said the United States Department of State had presented “no evidence” backing its sanctioning of Georgian judges and former Prosecutor General Otar Partskhaladze seven and one month from the decisions respectively.