Georgia’s ruling party MP: European Commission’s statement puts pressure on independent judiciary

Irakli Cheishvili, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday called unacceptable a statement by a European Commission spokesperson saying the European Union was closely monitoring legal proceedings concerning lawsuits seeking to ban opposition parties in Georgia.

Speaking to Imedi TV, Cheishvili described the statement as unacceptable, arguing that it amounted to pressure on the independent judiciary and an attempt to influence the Constitutional Court.

“When the European Commission makes a statement of this kind, it is absolutely unacceptable and constitutes pressure on an independent court”, Cheishvili said.

He added that issuing such a statement just one day before the relevant proceedings was particularly inappropriate and played into the opposition’s hands.

“When the European Commission comes forward one day before the proceedings and makes a statement like this, it is absolutely unacceptable and plays into the opposition’s hands. It is an attempt to exert pressure on the Constitutional Court”, he concluded.