Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said he supports the Georgian court and is “proud” of the courts and judges. The prime minister also said that during the rule of the Georgian Dream party, the court became free and independent from any interference.
On April 5, 2023, the US State Department imposed sanctions on Georgian judges Mikhail Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze, Irakli Shengelia, and Valerian Tsertsvadze, as well as their family members, and banned them from entering the US “due to significant corrupt activities.” This is stated in a statement by US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
Anthony Blinken points out that they, as presidents of the court and senior members of justice, abused their position.
Independent experts and human rights activists have noted for years that Levan Murusidze and Mikhail Chinchaladze lead a so-called “clan” of judges that is blocking reforms needed to strengthen ties between Georgia and the European Union.
Both judges are affiliated with the High Council of Justice, which is the main supervisory body of the country’s judiciary. It is also believed that they have a secret relationship with Bidzina Ivanishvili, the richest man in Georgia, the founder of the Georgian Dream and the informal ruler of the country.
Murusidze was also distinguished by loyalty to the previous government – he was a judge in the high-profile case of Sandro Girgvliani during the days of the United National Movement. Murusidze’s name is associated with the mitigation of sentences for those accused in the murder of Sandro Girgvliani.
A clause on the improvement of the judiciary was also included in the Charles Michel agreement of April 19, 2021. Later, the US Ambassador also made similar statements several times. However, the government continued to appoint life-long judges to the Supreme Court.
“Of course, any interference is unacceptable. Any influence on judges is absolutely unacceptable,” Garibashvili stated.
In addition, the Prime Minister met with the Chairman of the Supreme Court of Georgia and the High Council of Justice Nino Kadagidze and judges. After the meeting, Kadagidze thanked Garibashvili for his support and said that the government needed to intervene in a number of issues.
“The time has come when the government must intervene in a number of issues. In any case, I believe that a regulatory framework can be developed based on certain correct views, which we also discussed with Mr. Garibashvili, which will effectively exclude any form of interference in the court, as well as minimize the impact of politics on the court. Once again, many thanks to Mr. Garibashvili, his support and assistance in the issues that we discussed are very important for the judicial system today,” Kadagidze said.
