The Georgian Parliament Speaker, Shalva Papuashvili, asserts that the U.S. decisions to sanction Georgian citizens lack legal foundation, as the American side has failed to provide any evidence in these cases.

Papuashvili emphasized that Georgia is an independent state, and external entities should not interfere in its internal affairs.

“Regarding our police officers, the accusations we’ve heard are baseless. No evidence has been presented to support the claims against them, and they were denied their rights to a fair trial and legal defense. Additionally, any facts or claims from the U.S. have not been made public, resulting in a decision made behind closed doors with no legal basis.

While we are referred to as ‘Georgia’ in English, we are not the U.S. state of Georgia; we are an independent country. According to our constitution and legislation, Georgia’s jurisdiction is valid within its own borders. No external party should interfere in Georgia’s internal judicial matters. If there are any claims or evidence regarding any Georgian citizen, they should be presented. We have consistently asked for evidence, just as we did in past cases involving judges. The fact remains that they cannot provide this evidence. Therefore, this decision is entirely unfounded,” Papuashvili concluded in response to a journalist’s question.