Shalva Papuashvili Criticizes MEPs' Letter to Georgian Government Regarding Saakashvili
By Liza Mchedlidze
Monday, July 17, 2023
About 50 European Parliaments have issued an appeal requesting the Georgian authorities to transfer Mikheil Saakashvili, the imprisoned former president of Georgia, to Europe for treatment.
"Given the accelerated decline in Mr. Saakashvili's condition, we, the undersigned Members of the European Parliament, urgently call upon you to endorse the only compassionate, morally just, and effective solution: the transfer of the former President Saakashvili to one of the EU Member States, where he can receive the necessary and appropriate medical care," read the statement.
The letter was addressed to President Salome Zourabichvili, Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili, and Chairman of Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili.
"I received the letter, read it, and unfortunately, I could not find any apology in it. The only thing I expect from these MPs is to see words of apology towards the Georgian people," said Parliament Chairman Shalva Papuashvili.
As Papuashvili mentioned, specific Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) should apologize for their involvement in a disinformation campaign regarding Mikheil Saakashvili that lasted for over a year.
"It is as if Mikheil Saakashvili is not provided with proper medical care, as if he was poisoned, as if he was tortured. It is not only the participants of this campaign, but even the European Parliament that adopted resolutions," Papuashvili said.
"We and the European Court of Human Rights share the same opinion that all of this is based on a lie. This is exactly what the Strasbourg Court stated, affirming that he is provided with all the necessary services and that he is, in fact, engaging in self-harm.
It is regrettable that all those who have touched upon the issue of Mikheil Saakashvili in this regard have brought shame upon Georgia and the European Parliament, which adopted resolutions based on misinformation. This also includes the president of Ukraine, who, instead of thanking the ambassador of Georgia - the only ambassador who remained in Kiev until the last moment, undeterred by Russian bombs, and who proudly waved the Georgian flag - chose to expel him from Ukraine without expressing gratitude.
Shame on the former ambassadors who are involved in this misinformation, shame on the current ambassadors in Georgia who sent a demarche to the Minister of Justice based entirely on lies," Papuashvili said.
