Shalva Papuashvili Calls for Increased Transparency and Accountability in European Parliament Following Saakashvili Case
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, July 20, 2023
Shalva Papuashvili, the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, expressed his endorsement of the campaign for enhanced transparency and accountability in the European Parliament, citing the 'deplorable' incidents related to the Saakashvili case.
"This campaign not only aims to secure Saakashvili's illegal release from a fair and just sentence but also seeks to tarnish Georgia's reputation on the international stage.
The newly released FARA documents reveal that the European Parliament resolutions critical of the Georgian government were not authored by well-intentioned MEPs but were instead drafted by hired lobbyists who purposefully added biased elements to these unjust resolutions.
The recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg confirmed that Saakashvili's request for transfer abroad for "appropriate medical treatment" was denied, as such treatment is fully available at the location where he is currently serving his sentence. This decision exposed the campaign of mistreatment against Saakashvili as not only artificial but also entirely fabricated," stated Shalva Papuashvili.
He further emphasized that the new FARA documents cast the entire case in a more serious light.
"The campaign of mistreatment against Saakashvili was not only built on falsehoods and deceit but also involved the creation of European Parliament resolutions that were directed against the Georgian people, all orchestrated by the hands of lobbyists.
In light of this scandalous information, I urge the European Parliament members who were involved in this disgraceful campaign not only to cease their campaign against Georgia but also to rectify the damage inflicted upon our country's international reputation.
Recently, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, rightly highlighted the need for new regulations requiring MEPs to publicly disclose their interactions with lobbyists, following the Qatargate scandal. Given the shameful experience surrounding the entire Saakashvili case, I stand in support of the campaign for increased transparency and accountability in the European Parliament," stated Papuashvili in a statement published on the Facebook page.
The U.S. Department of Justice has released information on lobbying firms hired by Giuli Alasania and Mikheil Saakashvili, detailing their activities. According to the documents, lobbying firms 'Akerman' and 'GP International' engaged in various activities over a six-month reporting period, including those related to European Parliament resolutions, sanctions against Georgia, attempts to secure a meeting with the President of Georgia to request Saakashvili's pardon, and engagement with Polish doctors.
