Georgia’s ‘Clan of Judges’

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European Court of Human Rights

ECHR rules against Georgia in case involving two influential judges

by Shota Kincha

•2 min read

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that Georgia violated the right to a fair trial in a case involving two key judiciary figures: a judge accused of belonging to the ‘clan’ in Georgia’s judiciary and a constitutional court judge currently reviewing the lawsuits against Georgia’s foreign agent bill. On 29 August, the ECHR found that Georgia breached the right to a fair trial for Tamar Khachapuridze and Kakhaber Khachidze, along with their son Davit Khachidze. In August 2016,

Georgia

Georgian opposition bloc ejects members for voting for ruling party judicial candidates

by Shota Kincha

•3 min read

Five members of Georgia’s main parliamentary opposition faction, the United National Movement (UNM) — Strength in Unity, were ejected from the bloc on 17 May, after casting the deciding votes electing the ruling party’s preferred candidates to Georgia’s High Council of Justice. The High Council of Justice (HCOJ) is an independent agency responsible for overseeing Georgia’s judiciary. Its reform is seen as being important to Georgia’s EU membership candidacy bid. On Thursday, the ruling Ge

19 April plenary session. Official photo

Georgia’s ‘Clan of Judges’

Georgian Dream stalls parliament’s investigation of US-sanctioned judges

by Shota Kincha

•5 min read

The Georgian Dream parliamentary majority has deliberately failed quorum to prevent opposition MPs from setting up a commission to investigate senior Georgian judges sanctioned by the United States. The Wednesday session would have seen 50 opposition MPs join forces to form a temporary fact-finding commission to investigate allegations of corruption against four judges sanctioned by Washington. However, the session fell 16 MPs short of meeting quorum after the parliamentary majority delibera

A protest against the lifetime appointment of judges in Tbilisi. Mariam Nikuradze/OC Media.

Armenia

Podcast | Senior Georgian judges sanctioned by US and Russia’s ban on Armenian dairy products

by OC Media

•1 min read

Mariam Nikuradze talks about the US sanctions against four senior Georgian judges for ‘undermining the rule of law’ in the country. She breaks down the judges’ ties to an alleged ‘clan’ in Georgia’s judicial system that is associated with the ruling Georgian Dream party. Read more: * US sanctions senior Georgian judges for ‘undermining rule of law’ Ani Avetisyan talks about the recent Russian ban on Armenian dairy products, its effect on Armenia’s dairy industry, and

Clockwise from top left: Levan Murusidze, Mikheil Chinchaladze, Irakli Shengelia, Valeri Tsertsvadze

Georgia

US sanctions senior Georgian judges for ‘undermining rule of law’

by Shota Kincha

•3 min read

The US has imposed sanctions on three current and one former judge alleged to be members of a ruling-party-associated ‘clan’ in Georgia’s judicial system. On Wednesday, the US State Department accused judges Mikheil Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze, and Irakli Shengelia, and one former judge, Valerian Tsertsvadze, of ‘involvement in significant corruption’ and ‘undermining the rule of law’. The four Georgian nationals and their immediate family members have been banned from entering the USA.

Conference of Judges at HCoJ on 23 October. Source: HCoJ

Georgia

‘A slap in the face of Georgia’s EU perspective’: opposition alarmed by judicial appointments

by Shota Kincha

•2 min read

Members of an influential group of judges linked to Georgia’s ruling party have been re-elected to the High Council of Justice (HCoJ), an independent agency responsible for overseeing Georgia’s judiciary. On Sunday, the 31st Conference of Judges elected Levan Murusidze and Dimitri Gvritishvili as new members of the High Council of Justice after their predecessors abruptly resigned. The HCoJ has been accused by local watchdogs of being dominated by a ‘clan’ allied with the ruling Georgian D

Afgan Mukhtarli

Kidnap, smuggling, and rigged elections: 5 allegations by Georgia’s former security chief

by Shota Kincha

•6 min read

A former deputy director of Georgia’s security service has made a series of serious accusations against the government in recent months, ranging from the kidnapping of a political activist to setting up a system to smuggle goods over the Russian-Georgian border. We’ve rounded up five of his most provocative allegations below. Around midnight on 15 July, police arrested the former deputy director of the State Security Service of Georgia (SSG), Soso (Ioseb) Gogashvili, raiding his house. F