Mamuka Mdinaradze, chair of the Georgian Dream faction, responds to a statement made by opposition politician Zurab Chiaberashvili.

Mdinaradze posted his comment on Facebook:

“For several days now, a campaign of self-justification based on the principle of “defense is the best offense” has been underway in connection with the resolution of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; meanwhile, they have no answers regarding the resolution itself.

Yesterday, they had Zurab Chiaberashvili – the most competent person in this matter, who was Georgia’s ambassador to the Council of Europe in 2008 – appear on one of the National Movement’s television stations.

He was remarkably able to fully expose his own party’s lack of arguments in all four sentences spoken in terms of explanation, which the public should know in detail:
Chiaberashvili’s first sentence:

This document talks about the ethnic cleansing of Georgians, occupation, and territorial integrity, and that is why we signed it – the resolution would have been adopted with or without their support, there were sufficient votes! Not only did the Russian delegation not support the resolution – they even walked out of the hall because there were so many paragraphs damaging to them in the resolution!

Or what else could they have said about the occupier who invaded the territory of a country? They couldn’t claim that they were tourists, could they? This is the feeblest form of self-justification.

Second sentence:
Articles 5 and 11 express doubts as to whether humanitarian law was violated, or who started the war. A brazen lie was needed here as there is no reference to any doubt in these paragraphs and the following is written in black and white:

The outbreak of the war on 7 August 2008 was unexpected for most of the organization’s members (I would like to remind you that Saakashvili recorded 8 August as the date of the incursion of Russian troops in his decree…).

On 7 August, the Georgian military initiated the shelling of Tskhinvali without warning.

The use of heavy weapons and cluster munitions by Georgia created grave risks for civilians.

Russia’s attack was retaliatory.

Human rights and humanitarian law violations were committed by both sides in the context of the war, such as the intentional or avoidable killing or wounding of civilians, as well as destruction of property.

The use of indiscriminate force and weapons by both Georgian and Russian troops in civilian areas can be considered as war crimes that need to be fully investigated.
Do these entries amount to the expression of doubt?! Chiaberashvili is lying absolutely knowingly, suggesting that only doubts were expressed, which would not have been necessary even in the case of one-percent truth!

Third sentence:
Certain MEPs – with the lobbying of Russians – told us what should be written in the resolution; we told them that no such thing should be written there, to which they responded by asking – why shouldn’t it be written so if Salome Zourabichvili is saying that? And that is why the resolution states what it states, in the form of doubts. Even commenting on this is superfluous. What does Zourabichvili have to do with 2 October 2008… In short, it is not worth dwelling on this amazing explanation.

Fourth sentence:
We did not agree with what was written in Paragraph 5, but we strongly believed that even if (!) there was an investigation in The Hague, Georgia would be exonerated. Given that they supported what was written mainly in paragraphs 5 and 11 – where was the guarantee that we would win in The Hague?! Even more so against the backdrop of their concealment of the evidence… Or who gave the guarantee of acquittal?! What sort of a logic is this – I will now support a traitorous position, accusing the Georgian military of starting the war and committing war crimes, and if The Hague even conducts an investigation, it will be exonerated there? Is this the explanation?! More lies, and an inconceivable argument.

And all this was said by their ambassador to the Council of Europe! The person who knows the most about the subject and whom they expected to be the most successful in finding a way out of the situation.

In reality, by supporting this resolution two months after the war, the National Movement gave Russia its signature with regard to starting the war and committing war crimes. Despite this, the authorities under the Georgian Dream were able to turn the situation around, and we won the legal battle both in Strasbourg and The Hague.
Correspondingly, it is easy to understand the reason for the UNM’s hysteria on this topic: they maintain the idea – and are trying to convince their supporters – that they are pro-Western, anti-Russian, and fighting against the “pro-Russian” Dream. Against this backdrop, the evidence – which proves their treason and the pursuit of the occupiers’ interests against their own country and military in black and white – is completely demolishing their party and their already false ideology.

Today, they truly are at a dead end – Saakashvili and his party have been exposed for the greatest crime against Georgia. This is their main political and moral accusation!

They can let Chiaberashvili talk some more, he creates wonderful material for drawing the right conclusions!”