US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed dissatisfaction with the appointment of six Supreme Court justices by the Georgian parliament on his Twitter page.
“The United States is deeply troubled by the Georgian Parliament’s approval of the Supreme Court nominees in contravention of the April 19 agreement. Ambitious judicial reform is critical to Georgia’s success,” Blinken writes.
The United States is deeply troubled by the Georgian Parliament’s approval of Supreme Court nominees in contravention of the April 19 agreement. Ambitious judicial reform is critical to Georgia's success.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) July 16, 2021
On July 12, The Parliament of Georgia has approved 6 of the 9 Supreme Court judicial candidates. The Parliament supported the candidacies of Gocha Abuseridze, Giorgi Gogiashvili, Levan Tevzadze, Revaz Nadaraia, Bidzina Sturua, and Lasha Kochiashvili.
Civil society and diplomats have called on the Georgian parliament not to elect judges to the Supreme Court until a judicial reform under European Council President Charles Michel’s document is carried out. Based on the April 19 agreement, “all current appointments to the Supreme Court should be suspended and applications for new candidates resumed after the new law enters into force.”
By Ketevan Skhirtladze
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