The President of Georgia, Salome Zurabishvili, has been summoned to the prosecutor’s office today in connection with the statement made regarding the possible falsification of the 2024 parliamentary elections, although the President is not going to appear at the investigative agency.
“It turns out that the Prosecutor’s office expects evidence and confessions from me. It should be the other way around – the investigative body should be the one searching for and providing evidence, as is the case in any normal country. I’ve never heard an investigative agency asking the president to present evidence,” Zurabishvili said, adding that she is not going to go to the investigative agency.
“I think the prosecution has to work hard to investigate what it has on the table. It should not start thinking about political attacks on the president, especially when it follows instructions from Mr. Medvedev. Everyone has to do their job. I will continue my job as a president and I really do not intend to go to the Prosecutor’s Office,” said Salome Zurabishvili.
The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office on October 30 launched an investigation into alleged parliamentary election fraud, following a complaint from the Central Election Commission (CEC).
The CEC said it filed the complaint on October 29, citing frustration over having become a “target of intense attacks and unfounded criticism” following the elections.
The case was initiated under Article 164³ of the Georgian criminal code (violation of voting secrecy, incorrect vote counting, or miscalculation of election results). One of the first individuals summoned for questioning by the prosecutor’s office is Georgia’s President, Salome Zurabishvili.
“Georgia’s President Salome Zurabishvili, along with representatives of certain political parties participating in the elections, is making unsubstantiated attacks on the CEC, attempting to harm the institution’s reputation with baseless accusations.”
“It is known to the public that the election administration is currently reviewing existing complaints; however, the allegations of ‘possible election fraud’ made by these politicians have already gained significant traction,” the CEC stated.
Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday, said: “The proxy President of Georgia refused to recognize the election results and went against the constitution by calling for a coup. In such cases, the standard practice is dismissal and arrest.”
Related story: Zurabishvili advises Prosecutor’s Office to “avoid confrontation with the President”
