Georgia “doesn’t deserve” US sanctions on judges to deepen domestic polarisation - President
Georgian President Salome Zoiurabichvili on Friday responded to the US sanctions on Georgian judges. Photo: President press office
Tweet 
Share
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.
In her press briefing, the President stressed the reasons behind the decision required to be analysed.
Our allied state may have sent us a ruthless message, but let us not get upset, angry or happy - let's analyse what happened, [and] what we need to improve. Let us show the world that we deserve a different assessment - and we will achieve this goal, that will make us very happy", Zourabichvili said.
She also expressed her fears the US sanctions on judges could be perceived as a “negative signal” in the European Union, ahead of the bloc’s forthcoming decision whether to grant its membership candidate status to the country later this year.
To prevent the “negative consequences” for the country’s European future, the President called for an “effective and timely steps” to “restore the country’s image”.
If we do not want the issue of the four judges to affect the country’s future, effective steps are needed - be it a full investigation or a review of the composition of the Supreme Council of Justice, or a timely selection of its non-judge members. The more effective steps are taken in terms of the court - which all our partners are observing - the faster we will restore the country's reputation”, Zourabichvili said.
The State Department imposed visa restrictions on four judges - Levan Murusidze, Valerian Tsertsvadze, Mikheil Chinchaladze and Irakli Shengelia - on Wednesday for their “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”.
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 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.
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”.
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”.
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 Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday said he was “proud” of the country’s judiciary and judges, following the United States Department of State’s move last week to sanction three acting and one former Georgian judges for alleged corruption.
Nino Kadagidze, the Chair of the Georgian Supreme Court, on Monday expressed her fears the United States Department of State’s sanctions on four Georgian judges could be “used” against the country’s interests ahead of the European Union’s decision this year on whether to grant the country its membership candidate status.
The Georgian Government Administration on Thursday responded to the Presidential Administration’s statement, released earlier today, allegedly the Georgian Government had “artificially delayed” consent to the President’s visit to Strasbourg, causing its postponement, and rejected the claims as false and “misinformation”.
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 Prosecutor General’s Office on Tuesday rejected claims by the country’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and figures from the domestic opposition on the body’s alleged links with Otar Partskhaladze, the former Prosecutor General who was sanctioned last week by the United States for “influencing Georgian society and politics for the benefit of Russia”, as “disinformation”