Politicians React to US Sanctions against Georgian Judges

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced on April 5 that the US State Department has sanctioned 4 Georgian judges – Mikheil Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze, Irakli Shengelia and Valerian Tsertsvadze – on the basis of visa ban Rule 7031(c), “for their involvement in significant corrupt activities.” This means that they and their family members will no longer be able to enter the United States.

Georgian politicians responded to the sanctioning of judges by the US. Here is the compilation by Civil.ge of the ruling team’s and the opposition’s remarks regarding this unprecedented decision:

Reaction of the Georgian Dream

Irakli Kobakhidze – Chairman of Georgian Dream: “I have to be a bit harsh about this [Anthony Blinken’s] statement… there are corruption processes behind this statement, corruption does not only mean money, and it is particularly disturbing that the Secretary of State was directly smeared while making with this statement. That is a pity. It speaks of the people who bring such information to the Secretary of State…
We all understand that Anthony Blinken does not sleep or wake up thinking about Georgia, he has much more to do. When they bring him such crude documents, it’s very serious and it speaks of the underlying corrupt processes”.

Archil Talakvadze – Deputy Speaker of Parliament: “It is very sad that sanctions have appeared as a communication tool in the relationship between strategic friends. In any case, this is a very serious matter and we will take it very seriously. There is no fake and funny story here… We will inform the public and explain what our further communication and next steps will be. In the light of all this, given our relationship, it is not fair to use such an instrument and, I would say, it is categorically unacceptable for judges to be sanctioned when there is such a high-level strategic relationship between our countries. The government of the United States of America has repeatedly stated, including a year ago, that Georgia is one of the most reliable partners in the region, meaning the government of Georgia, of course.

Reactions from the Opposition

Irakli Nadiradze – “United National Movement: “They have received a political atomic bomb, although I am sure that the high-ranking officials of ‘Georgian Dream’ will say this is nothing, as they usually do, and they will begin to blame senators, deputies, as well as MEPs, even for the representatives of the Foreign Ministry; nevertheless, this is a very alarming thing for them, because according to the principle of dominoes, all the clans that the oligarch Ivanishvili has been collecting for years will collapse”.

Berdia Sichinava – “For Georgia: “It is symbolic that the judge in the Sandro Girgvliani case has given a political verdict to the second government in Georgia. The US decision to sanction the members of the ‘court clan’ is a direct message that responsibility will be personalized for all those who undermine Georgian democracy and the rule of law. … Our political team calls on the Georgian Dream government to take responsibility for this. The judges sanctioned by the US should resign from their positions, the Georgian Parliament should accept the amendments we initiated in the Organic Law of Georgia “On Common Courts” in the Supreme Council of Justice”.

Ana Natsvlishvili – “Lelo for Georgia”: Lelo welcomes the decision of the USA to sanction the leaders of the judicial clan in Georgia. This is the most important international decision that supports the citizens of Georgia and their right to live in a just state free of clans. This decision is also a very clear message to the “Georgian Dream” and its deceptive policy, which during these years has done everything not to let the judicial clan and the unjust system inherited from the previous government go home, but repaired and strengthened it and condemned the citizens of Georgia to life imprisonment by the clan and the judicial system run by them. This is the collapse of the “Georgian Dream” policy and proves once again that this type of team cannot govern the state.

Giorgi Vashadze – Strategy Aghmashenebeli: “First – the “Georgian Dream” ship is sinking. Second, these four judges are just the beginning and a message to all other judges, to all other Russian taskmasters, that the list can be expanded, and I’m telling them directly, don’t sink the sunken ship.”

Ketevan Turazashvili – “Citizens”: “I haven’t had any question marks about the list of persons sanctioned by America, all who have been sanctioned so far – recently or a long time ago- starting with Putin and any other persons, everyone deserved it… The problem is that such people, whom the US considers criminals, are in court system. This should be clarified, especially since complaints against these people have existed for a long time.”

Khatia Dekanoidze – Independent MP: “A very serious historical decision that will send a very specific message to the domestic court system. All judges will think about it. There is already so much pressure on judges that life judges are fleeing to America… In general, this will be a message to everyone. This is also a very specific message for the [parliamentary] majority.”

Giga Bokeria – European Georgia: “A country where high-ranking officials are sanctioned is on the way to international isolation… We have a regime that should be busy with talking to our partners in Brussels, Washington, and Berlin, using moral and pragmatic arguments, about the importance of Georgia, instead it is under sanctions – this is betrayal. This is called treason at a historic moment.”

Zurab Japaridze – “Girchi-More Freedom”: “The US State Department does not make such a decision if it doesn’t have solid evidence. Now let them [sanctioned judges] go to Chelyabinsk and travel. This is also a message to other judges to free themselves from the influence of the clan and take care of the independence of the Georgian judiciary.

Also Read:

• 06/04/2023 – Georgian Judges Sanctioned by US State Department Speak Out Against Accusations
• 06/04/2023 – Georgia’s Opposition Calls on President to Convene Extraordinary Session

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