Georgian Parliament official accuses Eurocrats of framing criminal offenses as political persecution

David Matikashvili, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party and Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on Procedural Issues and Rules, on Thursday claimed that European bureaucrats were seeking to portray ordinary criminal offenses in Georgia as some form of political persecution.

Speaking ahead of the planned debates on Georgia in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Matikashvili noted there was a deliberate effort to mislead the public.

“They are seeking to pass off lies, slander, and entirely fabricated issues as truth in the eyes of society. This is the unfortunate reality we face from European bureaucracy. What is happening in Georgia is clear. In EU countries, when crimes are committed, no one calls it a political persecution. But in Georgia, because there is an agenda to exert pressure on the country and its citizens, they try to frame ordinary criminal cases as some form of political persecution”, the official noted.

PACE is set to hold a debate on Georgia, during which a call for the release of prisoners is expected. Opposition representatives are currently in Strasbourg.