Georgia’s ruling party official dismisses Helsinki Commission conclusions as “insulting”, questioning body’s credibility

Irakli Kirtskhalia, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party faction in the legislative body, on Wednesday criticised the US Helsinki Commission’s statements about Georgia, calling every phrase directed against the country “insulting” and questioning the Commission’s credibility.

In his remarks over the Commission’s postponement of a Georgia-focused briefing due to bad weather, Kirtskhalia equated the Commission’s overall reliability with the weather-related excuse itself.

“The credibility of this Commission’s findings is exactly the same as the reason given for postponing it”, he said.

The official argued that the Commission’s conclusions and anti-Georgia statements could not be taken seriously due to the involvement of disreputable individuals, including Georgians he labelled as traitors collaborating with external forces.

“Because when we talk about credibility, truth, and objectivity, and we refer to the Helsinki Commission here, we should recall the figures involved - some Georgians, some non-Georgians - who were directly contemptible. To understand the essence of this Commission, it is simply impossible to make a serious statement. The Commission’s work in general, their conclusions, every phrase voiced against our country, from our ethnically Georgian traitors and their patrons, is insulting”, he concluded.

Due to weather-related disruptions, the US Helsinki Commission postponed its planned briefing on the situation in Georgia.