Shalva Papuashvili: Exploiting personal tragedies for political points yields nothing; legal charges require legal answers, not political spin

“I would never wish for anyone to exploit another person’s personal tragedy for political insinuation,” Speaker of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili stated when asked to comment on the latest letter released by former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

“We know who resorts to these tactics, and we have grown accustomed over the years to seeing various tragedies, be it a suicide or any other misfortune, weaponised to manufacture political insinuations. Regarding this specific case and the individual who, if I am not mistaken, tragically took their own life, certain figures, namely journalists who have appointed themselves defenders of the deceased, should at the very least respect their memory and allow the departed to rest in peace. Instead, we are witnessing further speculation surrounding this matter,” Papuashvili stated.

The Speaker expressed regret over ongoing attempts to turn a strictly legal matter into a political spectacle.

“I would hope that if reasoned arguments exist regarding the legal claims raised by the Prosecution Service and the investigation, they will be met with legal answers. We have seen repeated attempts to shift such issues into the political domain, but doing so achieves absolutely nothing. These are legal matters involving formal charges filed by the prosecutor’s office, and they require a legal defence. Everything else- these political insinuations- is entirely redundant.

There are formal charges, a legal process is underway, and it demands a legal response. Re-framing the issue politically demonstrates the weakness of one’s legal standing. We are well accustomed to attempts to divert public attention through various political manoeuvres. Legal questions require legal answers, not political rhetoric,” Shalva Papuashvili concluded.