Georgian Parliament official urges jailed ex-PM Garibashvili to reflect on ‘self-destruct mode’

Archil Gorduladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs, on Wednesday said imprisoned former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili should reflect on why he was “in self-destruct mode” and why he was making statements and sending letters that directly contradict each other.

Gorduladze’s remarks came after Garibashvili on Tuesday published a letter saying he had not committed a crime and had gone to prison because he did not want to harm the interests of the state and his political team.

Gorduladze noted that the state was taking care of the safety of Irakli Garibashvili and his family in the same way that it protects every citizen.

“He admitted to committing a crime at the beginning of this year. There is also footage circulating showing that items of significant value and large amounts of money were seized from buildings belonging to him. I don’t know why these statements are being made now. Perhaps he himself needs to seriously reflect on why he is in self-destruct mode, why he is making these statements, and why he is sending letters that directly contradict one another”, he said.

“In this country, the life, health, and safety of every person and every citizen are protected. Accordingly, there is no threat facing either Irakli Garibashvili or his family. So, what was the purpose of this statement? It seemed to be an attempt to create some kind of expectation or alarm in society, which was then enthusiastically amplified by the collective National Movement. We also saw yesterday’s statement, which directly contradicts the first statement, both in its wording and even in the way its sentences are structured. It is inconceivable that anyone is threatening him or his family. The state is, of course, taking care of their safety just as it does that of every citizen”, Gorduladze concluded.