The sooner this hypocrisy ends, the better. Georgian people expect European politicians and bureaucrats to be faithful to the rule of law of our common value, to reject gray areas and to take the necessary steps, – the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, Shalva Papuashvili announced on social media, responding to former minister of justice Zurab Adeishvili’s participation in high-level meetings.
He claimed that nothing harms Georgians’ confidence in European values more than the sheltering of violent criminals by Ukraine and European democracies.
“The rule of law is not just an idealistic principle. It has practical political consequences. Let’s remember that Saakashvili had the opportunity to move freely in the West, and many of our partners did not notice this, as if nothing serious was happening. Meanwhile, thanks to free movement and the privileges of the Ukrainian office, Saakashvili maliciously interfered in Georgian politics and stoked the flames of political radicalization. And then we saw it in Georgia, at the right time, on the day of the elections, when riots were organized. It was only thanks to the Georgian special services that he was quickly found and arrested, due to which his plan failed, which could have created a serious threat to the stability of Georgia.
“From this point of view, the acceptance of Saakashvili and now Adeishvili by the West is not as harmless as it seems. This acceptance undermines the values on which Georgia’s European aspirations stand. Moreover, nothing damages Georgians’ confidence in European values more than the harboring of violent criminals by Ukraine and European democracies.
“The sooner this hypocrisy ends, the better. The Georgian people expect European politicians and bureaucrats to be committed to the rule of law of our common value, reject gray areas and take the necessary steps.
“The rule of law in the European Union is not optional, it is necessary,” Papuashvili said.
Zurab Adeishvili is a former attorney general and former minister of justice of Georgia, who is wanted in his homeland. He made an official visit to Germany. In response, the Georgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed its “concern” to the ambassadors of Germany and the European Union.
The Ministry said: “The ambassadors were officially informed about the Georgian side’s concern regarding the participation of Zurab Adeishvili, a person recognized as a criminal and wanted by the Georgian court, in visits and meetings that took place in the EU and Germany.”
In response, the German Embassy clarified that Adeishvili attended the Bundestag as part of the delegation from the Ukrainian ambassador. They emphasized that his presence was unrelated to and did not affect the diplomatic relations between Germany and Georgia.
