Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili last week sharply criticized the US Helsinki Commission, accusing it of exploiting Georgian opposition figures, including Elene Khoshtaria, to undermine the country’s government.
Speaking to journalists, Papuashvili dismissed the Commission’s recent statement, which alleged that the ruling Georgian Dream party is using the judiciary to silence political opponents, and instead claimed that opposition figures are being encouraged to commit offenses for political purposes.
“Khoshtaria and people like her are the Helsinki Commission’s personal prisoners,” Papuashvili said. “They are incited to commit crimes, then imprisoned, and later used to attack the Georgian government.”
Parliament Speaker claimed external actors are deliberately encouraging unlawful actions in order to later issue critical statements, resolutions, and political assessments targeting the Georgian authorities.
“They incite them to commit crimes so they can later organize discussions and adopt statements. They use Georgians, while they themselves do not suffer any consequences,” Papuashvili added, arguing that such actions are part of a broader attempt to politically capitalize on internal developments in Georgia.
The remarks come in response to a statement by the US Helsinki Commission, which expressed concern over the sentencing of Elene Khoshtaria, leader of the opposition party “Droa.” Khoshtaria was sentenced to one year and six months in prison after being found guilty of property damage for writing “Russian Dream” on a campaign banner of Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze.
The Helsinki Commission also warned that Khoshtaria and other opposition leaders could face significantly harsher penalties, ranging from 7 to 15 years in prison, on charges related to alleged “crimes against the state.”
Related story: Helsinki Commission accuses Georgian Dream of using courts to silence opposition
