Parliament Speaker: portraying political relations with “criminals in normal light” goes against “common values” of Georgian citizens, EU

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday said portraying political relations “with criminals in a normal light” was against “common values” shared by Georgian citizens and the European Union.

Papuashvili's comments followed the media reports saying that Zurab Adeishvili, the wanted former Prosecutor General and Justice Minister of Georgia under the previous UNM Government, visited the Bundestag and the EU institution as a part of a Ukrainian delegation.

In his response, the chief Georgian legislator stressed Adeishvili had been convicted of a “wide range of crimes, including torture and business racketeering” for his role in the UNM Government.

Papuashvili further said the “heroic struggle” of the Ukrainian people against the Russian aggression “does not relieve [Ukrainian] authorities of responsibility [if they protect] criminals”.