Rule of law principle must be applied equally in Tbilisi, Yerevan, Berlin and Washington, says Georgian Parliament Speaker

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said that dozens of opposition politicians had been detained in Armenia ahead of elections without any reaction from the European Union, arguing that the principle of the rule of law should be applied consistently across all countries.

In his remarks, Papuashvili noted that if criminal offenses had been committed, legal proceedings should follow regardless of political considerations.

“If there is a criminal case to be pursued, then it should be pursued. Let me remind you that in 2021 we faced enormous criticism because Nika Melia was placed in detention for violating the terms of his pre-trial release. A major scandal was created around this issue until he was released. The European Union even paid his bail to secure his release”, he said.

“The case eventually reached Strasbourg, where the court confirmed that Brussels had been wrong and that the Georgian justice system had acted correctly”, Papuashvili noted.

He said that If someone had committed a crime and should be arrested, then they should be arrested and that was what the rule of law meant.

“If the rule of law is considered a good thing in Washington, Berlin and Yerevan, then it should be viewed the same way by European Union representatives in Tbilisi.Behind each of these criminal cases stands a prosecution indictment, and there is also case law from Strasbourg that confirms the correctness of Georgia’s judicial system. In addition, a constitutional lawsuit concerning political parties is currently pending”, Papuashvili concluded.