The U.S. Embassy in Georgia has responded to the Tbilisi Appeals Courts’ recent decision to uphold jailed Mtavari Arkhi TV Chief Nika Gvaramia’s sentence by stressing that “at a time when Georgia’s commitment to an impartial judiciary and media pluralism is being closely reviewed, the continued imprisonment of Nika Gvaramia, the Director General of the main opposition TV channel, puts at risk the clear choice of the people of Georgia – and Georgian leaders’ stated goal – for a more secure, democratic European future.”

In its statement, the United States Embassy reiterated “our deep concern regarding today’s decision in the case of Gvaramia, Iashvili, and Damenia. Numerous international and Georgian human rights defenders have raised significant questions about this case from the start, including about the timing and charges, as well as the conviction and sentence. Even the perception of selective investigations, prosecutions, and convictions diminishes the public’s confidence in law enforcement, the prosecution, the courts, and the government itself.”

“The United States will continue to support media freedom and the judicial reforms that are necessary to build the stable, prosperous democracy the people of Georgia have clearly said they desire,” reads the statement.

U.S. Embassy Statement on the Continued Imprisonment of Nika Gvaramia https://t.co/WiSfWmKeJd

— U.S. Embassy Tbilisi (@usingeo) November 2, 2022