Prosecutor’s Office Asks Germany, Belgium to Extradite Wanted ex-Official
The Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia appealed to the competent agencies of Germany and Belgium to arrest and extradite UNM-era former Chief Prosecutor and Justice Minister Zurab Adeishvili, who has been sentenced in absentia in Georgia on several criminal charges. The Prosecutor’s Office confirmed to Civil.ge the extradition request, adding that “the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia, within the scope of its powers, implements all measures provided for by law to bring persons who have committed crimes in Georgia to Georgian justice, regardless of their location.”
Zurab Adeishvili has recently been included in the Ukrainian delegations to Brussels and Berlin, leading to harsh criticism of Ukraine, Germany and the EU from the ruling Georgian Dream party and the Georgian government.
- 08/03/2024 – Germany, EU React to GD Criticism Over Wanted Ex-Georgian Official Visit to Berlin, Brussels
On March 11, the Georgian Government issued two separate statements denouncing Adeishvili’s inclusion in the visits. One statement was directed towards Ukrainian authorities, while the other responded to earlier statements on the issue made by the German Embassy in Tbilisi and the EU Delegation to Georgia.
The German Embassy had cited lack of legal ground for banning Adeishvili, while the EU had spoken of disinformation around the visit.
Zurab Adeishvili, a highly influential figure in former President Saakashvili’s inner circle, left Georgia a day after the October 2012 parliamentary elections, that resulted the nation’s first peaceful transfer of power through elections since regaining independence in 1991. The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office put Adeishvili on wanted list in 2013 on several counts but still fails to achieve his extradition. In 2015, Interpol dropped red notice for him, which was issued in 2013. After the Maidan in Ukraine, Adeishvili reportedly moved to Ukraine, according to the latest information on his whereabouts, he is working for the Ukrainian authorities.
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