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Latvian Foreign Minister Concerned about Ugulava’s Imprisonment

Latvian FM Edgars Rinkēvičs in the UN, New York. September 2018. Photo: https://www.facebook.com/Rinkevics/

Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs joined his Estonian and Swedish colleagues in expressing his concerns about the ruling of top court of Georgia that sent former Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava, leader of opposition European Georgia party, to 38 months in prison. 

“Georgia’s Supreme Court verdict in Gigi  Ugulava case raises questions and concern,” Minister Rinkēvičs tweeted on February 12, adding that “circumstances around it are not conducive to advance process of political dialogue.”

“Judicial independence and rule of law are crucial elements of Georgia’s European path,” Latvian Foreign Minister concluded. 

On February 10, a three-member panel of the Supreme Court found Ugulava guilty of misspending GEL 48 million (USD 17 million) of public money from Tbilisi Development Fund, while serving as the mayor of the capital city, and sentenced him to three years and two months in jail.

Two of the judicial panel members Shalva Tadumadze (former Prosecutor General) and Merab Gabinashvili – who were recently appointed as Supreme Court justices for lifetime tenure – supported the ruling, while judge Giorgi Shavliashvili dissented.

This post is also available in: ქართული (Georgian) Русский (Russian)