Georgian Parliament official accuses UNM of continuing to justify ‘systematic crimes’

Archil Gorduladze, Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, said on Tuesday that remarks made by members of the United National Movement (UNM) during hearings on a constitutional lawsuit seeking to ban five opposition parties had further strengthened the case for the ban.

Gorduladze pointed to recent remarks by former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili concerning Roin Shavadze and by UNM MP Ana Tsitlidze regarding the case of the Aprasidze family. He argued that the UNM continued to justify what he described as systematic crimes committed during its time in power.

“Statements made by the collective United National Movement in recent days, both inside and outside the courtroom during the hearings on the lawsuit, further strengthen our case. For example, yesterday UNM leader Mikheil Saakashvili accused Roin Shavadze of espionage, although even the investigation conducted under the UNM government did not substantiate the allegation. He also said Shavadze should have been put on trial, despite the European Court of Human Rights having ruled that Shavadze was killed,” Gorduladze said.

“Today, Ana Tsitlidze justified the helicopter attack on the Aprasidze family and the opening of fire on sleeping minors,” he added.

Gorduladze said these statements alone, even without taking other remarks into account, demonstrated that the UNM not only refused to distance itself from what he described as systematic crimes but continued to justify them to this day.

“Therefore, a force that seeks to overthrow the constitutional order and intends to do the same in the future must be brought to justice and banned,” he concluded.