“It is gravely concerning to see a high-ranking institution of the European Union succumb to fake news,” said Irakli Kobakhidze, chair of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, echoing the resolution on Georgia adopted by the European Parliament on Thursday.

“The campaign, which has been running since 2012 to protect criminals and restore them to power, has reached one of the EU’s highest institutions, the European Parliament. It is gravely concerning to see a high-ranking institution of the European Union succumb to fake news,” Kobakhidze said.

The campaigners included factual errors and lies in the resolution, he claimed.

“The resolution states that the government still refuses to transfer Mikheil Saakashvili to a private clinic when Saakashvili is already in a private clinic. It also states that Aleksandre (Lekso) Lashkarava died of the injuries sustained on July 5, even though the real death cause has been known for some time. There is an incredibly disturbing element when individuals manage to include gross factual inaccuracies and untruths in their resolutions.

The European Parliament resolution is mainly based on the 5 July events. But the Georgian authorities have repeatedly condemned the violence against journalists, which was an unprecedented event in Georgia’s 30-year history as an independent state. The resolution fails to mention that there have been investigations into 12 criminal cases, resulting in the arrest or detention of 31 people.

The resolution, which demands the release of Saakashvili and Gvaramia, who are the enemies of media freedom and democracy in Georgia, and that Bidzina Ivanishvili be sanctioned for having been the main problem of democracy in Georgia, has nothing to do with European values,” Kobakhidze said.

According to Kobakhidze, the resolution supports the claim by some experts that ill-wishers motivated the decision of Georgia to apply for EU candidate status to cause artificial difficulties for the country and its government.

“When Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova join the EU, we would like to have a European Parliament that would protect the values of the EU and act according to its objectives. “Today’s resolution confirms the assumption made by some experts that the foes made Georgia apply for EU candidate status before the announced date to cause unfair hardships for the country and its government,” he explained.

The European Parliament Thursday adopted the resolution Violations of media freedom and safety of journalists in Georgia. MEPs expressed concern over the deteriorating media situation in Georgia and criticized the Georgian ruling team during the debates held over the resolution at the June 8 plenary session in Strasbourg.