Prepared by Messenger Staff
Georgian Dream Dismisses European Parliament Resolution, Cites 'Deep State' Influence
In a response to the European Parliament's resolution calling for sanctions on Georgian officials and new elections, the ruling Georgian Dream party has dismissed the EU body's credibility and invoked controversial "Deep State" rhetoric.
"We would like to respond to the resolution adopted today by the European Parliament against Georgia and the government elected by the Georgian people," the party stated.
Citing Trump's 2023 remarks on the so-called "Deep State," Georgian Dream drew parallels between U.S. political dynamics and European institutions. "This is a decisive battle. Either the Deep State will destroy America, or we must destroy the Deep State," Trump said at the time. The party added, "After being elected President, Donald Trump has actively engaged in this decisive battle, and we wish him success in destroying the Deep State."
The statement went on to claim that the European Union faces a similar existential struggle. "Either the Deep State will destroy the European Union, or the European Union will find the strength to somehow escape the influence of the Deep State."
Georgian Dream also echoed recent remarks by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who said, "European institutions cannot be taken seriously." The party reinforced this sentiment, concluding, "In our opinion, unfortunately, it is absolutely impossible to take the European Parliament seriously today."
ECtHR Rules Against Georgia in 'Cable Case' Citing Unfair Trial
On February 11, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled against Georgia in the so-called "cable case" (Glonti and others v. Georgia), finding violations of the European Convention on Human Rights related to the right to a fair trial.
The case involved five former officials from the Defense Ministry and General Staff, who were charged in 2013 with misspending GEL 4.1 million in an alleged sham tender for fiber-optic cable installation. They denied the charges, but the Tbilisi City Court sentenced them to seven years in prison for embezzlement.
In January 2017, the Tbilisi Court of Appeal reclassified their charges as abuse of office, reducing their sentences to one year and six months. However, the defendants were not given a chance to defend themselves against the revised charges. Their appeal to the Supreme Court was dismissed, and they were ultimately pardoned by then-President Giorgi Margvelashvili later that year.
Despite their release, the applicants pursued the case at the ECtHR, arguing that their trial had been unfair due to the sudden reclassification of charges and the withholding of key prosecution evidence. The ECtHR ruled that Georgia violated their right to a fair trial under Article 6 § 1 and 3 (a) and (b) of the European Convention on Human Rights, citing procedural unfairness and lack of transparency.
The applicants were represented by the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association (GYLA), which had previously deemed the case politically motivated, arguing that the charges lacked evidence.
