“Georgian people expect that European politicians and bureaucrats adhere to the rule of law, to our common values, abandon the grey areas, and take appropriate steps. The rule of law is not optional in the European Union. It is a must,” Georgian Parliament Speaker, Shalva Papuashvili wrote on Facebook.

According to the Speaker, the most fundamental idea of democracy suggests that one cannot accomplish good intentions with foul means. Therefore, “relying on criminals for justice reform contradicts the very principle of the rule of law.”

Here is the Speaker’s full statement:

“Sheltering of Georgian criminal Zurab Adeishvili (Georgia’s wanted former Prosecutor General) by the Ukrainian Government as an adviser to Ukraine’s Prosecutor-General, and his recent working engagement with German and European governing institutions are wrong signals that undermine the spirit of international cooperation for the democratic change.

Adeishvili’s criminal record is well documented by the Georgian Court. He is sentenced to six years in prison on five criminal charges, ranging from unlawful abduction of persons to deliberate bankrupting of companies, while in government. Two more criminal cases are still in court proceedings. Had we not abolished the principle of consecutive sentencing, which Adeishvili had himself helped to introduce under ex-president Saakashvili’s rule, then he would have been sentenced to serve total of 18 years in prison. He was one of the key architects of Saakashvili’s punitive and violent justice and penitentiary system, memory of which still brings chills down the spines of our numerous compatriots. There is no way that Adeishvili can be presented as a pro-democracy reformer to either Georgian people or the international community.

Certainly, the Ukrainian people’s war effort has garnered international support and admiration. Georgian Government and people did their utmost to help Ukraine in its just struggle against Russian aggression. From firmly supporting Ukraine in international fora and strictly observing international sanctions on Russia to sheltering tens of thousands of Ukrainian refugees to sending humanitarian aid, Georgian Government and people have demonstrated their determined goodwill for Ukraine. Sadly, the goodwill has not been reciprocal. Oddly, the Ukrainian Government recalled its ambassador to Tbilisi and requested our Ambassador to leave Kyiv, despite the latter being one of the very few foreign diplomats who steadfastly remained in the Ukrainian capital at the time of worst danger of Russian occupation in spring 2022.

Until now, Georgian Government has abstained from publicly raising the issue with the Ukrainian Government, on harboring of Georgian criminals. Ukraine is at war, but, again, there is no intelligible explanation for sheltering the criminals and refusing to hand them over to face the legitimate punishment in Georgia. Besides Adeishvili, himself a grave criminal, there is also Giorgi Lortkipanidze, deputy chief of Ukraine’s intelligence service, who is accused, among other things, of organizing the smuggling of Saakashvili into Georgia, days before the 2021 municipal elections.

While Ukraine has, at least, some pretext, such as the war effort, not to look deep enough into the issue of Georgian criminals, then German and EU institutions have no excuse to demonstrate goodwill towards them. Last week, we saw Adeishvili proudly being represented among the guests in the Bundestag, and more ominously, participating in Ukrainian delegation’s meetings with German and European high ranking officials in Berlin and Brussels. This is quite a déjà vu for Georgians, reminiscent of when Saakashvili himself would freely move across Europe and the United States, despite being wanted on well-documented charges in Georgia.

The key clause in the new ‘9 steps’, defining Georgia’s relations with the European Union is the emphasis on preventing disinformation. Georgian Government wholeheartedly embraces this clause. However, is there any way to justify Adeishvili’s acceptance at the highest diplomatic levels in Europe’s leading capitals other than disinformation on who Adeishvili is? How are German and European institutions going to convince Georgians that criminal Adeishvili is building democracy in Ukraine and can be tolerated in diplomatic negotiations?

The rule of law is not an idealistic principle only. It has very practical political repercussions. Just to remember, Saakashvili too, enjoyed free passage in the West, and many of our partners looked at this through their fingers, as if nothing serious was happening. Then, however, having the privileges of free movement and of being a Ukrainian official, Saakashvili meddled badly in Georgian politics, fanning the flames of political radicalization. And then again, we saw him in Georgia, just in the right time for fomenting unrest during the election day. It was only thanks to Georgia’s security service that he got promptly found and detained and his malicious plan failed, potentially being detrimental for Georgia’s stability.

From this perspective, Saakashvili’s and now, Adeishvili’s acceptance by the West is not as harmless as it may seem. This acceptance undermines the values on which Georgia’s European aspirations stand. Moreover, nothing erodes Georgians’ trust in European values more than seeing violent criminal masterminds being embraced by Ukraine and, also, European democracies.

The earlier this hypocrisy ends, the better. Georgian people expect that European politicians and bureaucrats adhere to the rule of law, to our common values, abandon the grey areas, and take appropriate steps.

The rule of law is not optional in the European Union. It is a must.”