Parliament official denounces MEP’s call for release of former President as “provocative”
The amendment calls on Zourabichvili to pardon the former official “on humanitarian grounds” and argues the outcome will reduce polarisation on the domestic Georgian political scene. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Parliament's Human Rights Committee, on Thursday denounced an amendment introduced by Anna Fotyga, a member of the European Parliament, to a resolution to urge the Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili to pardon the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, as “provocative”.
The amendment calls on Zourabichvili to pardon the former official “on humanitarian grounds” and argues the outcome will reduce polarisation on the domestic Georgian political scene.
In his response, Sarjveladze said the case of Saakashvili was one where a “specific criminal is serving a sentence and no one is entitled to disrespect the opinion of the Georgian judiciary, the Georgian state and the majority of the citizens of this country”.
“I believe that such initiatives on the part of motivated MEPs towards a specific political party in Georgia are provocative”, he continued.
Sarjveladze also warned about “consequences of such decisions and opinions”, including “in terms of attitudes towards Europe” in Georgia.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday said the topic of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili had “never” been mentioned in meetings with European Union officials during his visit to Brussels this week.
Rati Bregadze, the Georgian Justice Minister, on Monday said the latest report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment had reflected the cooperation offered to the body by the Tbilisi clinic where the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili is undergoing treatment.
Beka Dzamashvili, the Deputy Justice Minister of Georgia, on Thursday said the latest report by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment had observed “no cases of violence and mistreatment” of prisoners, including Georgia’s former President Mikheil Saakashvili, in the civilian clinic in Tbilisi where the former official has been undergoing treatment since 2022.
Shalva Papuashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker, on Monday alleged a group of members of the European Parliament was taking “deliberate actions to harm Georgia’s image” in a bid to facilitate an “illegal release” of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili from detention.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said the European Union “has to officially distance itself” from “slanderous” allegations made my members of the European Parliament, in response to an amendment introduced by MEP Anna Fotyga to a resolution to urge the Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili to pardon the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Mamuka Mdinaradze, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party in the Parliament, on Thursday said the parliamentary majority would present a legislative initiative to “protect the public from pseudo-liberal ideology”.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Friday called executive bodies of the European Union to “distance themselves from unfair decisions” in the European Parliament, in response to an amendment introduced by MEP Anna Fotyga to a resolution to urge the Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili to pardon the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Maka Botchorishvili, the Chair of the European Integration Committee of the Georgian Parliament, on Saturday said the Government desired to have “very constructive and good relations” with the European Parliament and all European Union institutions, as it was “necessary” for Georgia’s integration into the bloc.