Parliament Vice Speaker says a series of legal victories over Russia in international courts ensured under ruling Georgian Dream party

Thea Tsulukiani, the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament and Chair of the temporary investigative commission that examines alleged crimes committed by the former United National Movement Government between 2003 and 2012, on Monday said numerous documents existed prior to 2012, which directly accused the Georgian state and its military of being responsible for the 2008 war, rather than Russia.

In her remarks at a session of the commission, Tsulukiani highlighted the legal challenges inherited by the ruling Georgian Dream party in 2012, noting that a series of legal victories for Georgia over Russia in the international courts were ensured under the ruling party.

“You provided a brief but comprehensive overview of the legal situation inherited by the Georgian Dream Government in October 2012 regarding legal proceedings related to the 2008 August war. There were no solid pieces of evidence, and in some cases, no evidence at all. If any did exist, it was scattered across various institutions. The legal dispute at the International Court of Justice in The Hague had already been lost. Several documents drafted before 2012 directly accused the Georgian state and its military, shifting the blame from Russia to Georgia”, the Vice Speaker told Beka Dzamashvili, the Deputy Minister of Justice of Georgia, who briefed the commission on the matter.

“This was the reality the Georgian Dream party faced when it took over these [legal] disputes. However, as you confirmed, the situation changed in favour of the truth, and Georgia won all legal disputes against Russia thanks to the efforts of the Georgian Dream Government. The facts you listed, along with many others that cannot be covered in just 30 minutes, serve as a proof”, Tsulukiani continued.

The Vice Speaker further extended her gratitude to all individuals involved in the legal proceedings, ranging from prosecutors to representatives of the State Security Service, the Ministry of Defence, and the General Staff.

“I would like to thank everyone involved in this process [...] who worked to establish the truth. I would particularly highlight Judge Gocha Lordkipanidze, currently serving at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, who was my deputy at the time. My sincere gratitude to all”, Tsulukiani concluded.