Georgian Parliament official: Helsinki Commission turned into tool of deep state to attack Georgia’s democracy

Davit Matikashvili, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party and chair of the Parliament’s committee on procedural issues and rules, on Friday said the Helsinki Commission was being used as a tool to interfere in Georgia’s internal affairs, particularly in relation to the case of Elene Khoshtaria, the leader of the opposition Droa party.

In his interview with Imedi TV, Matikashvili claimed that the Commission’s statement regarding Khoshtaria did not reflect the legal realities of the case and was disconnected from the facts.

“In the hands of the deep state, the Helsinki Commission has been turned into a mechanism for attacking the country’s democracy, which is clearly evident in relation to Elene Khoshtaria”, he said.

The MP further suggested that such statements represent attempts at external interference in Georgia’s domestic affairs.

“This is a person exposed in numerous legal violations, who has even admitted to them, yet a message is coming from the Helsinki Commission that is asymmetrically detached from reality. This is yet another example of an attempt to interfere in Georgia’s internal affairs”, Matikashvili concluded.

The court has found Elene Khoshtaria, the leader of the opposition Droa party, guilty of damaging an election banner belonging to the mayor of Tbilisi Kakha Kaladze, sentencing her to one year and six months of imprisonment.

According to the judge's verdict, Khoshtaria is expected to leave the penitentiary facility in one year, accounting for time already served.