Today, the European Court of Human Rights sitting in Strasbourg has ruled that my right to a fair trial was violated in respect of charges brought against me in Georgia in 2021.
In their ruling, the judges unanimously found the case against me was heard without adherence to the principles of objectivity and fairness, proving that the judgment of the Georgian Supreme Court was not motivated by objective legal criteria.
I would like to clarify for the public that the Strasbourg Court is not a higher-instance court that examines criminal charges presented at the national level or reviews national court judgments. The Strasbourg Court did not examine the substantive aspects of the case and any suggestion by the Georgian government that it confirmed any finding of guilt against me is a dishonest manipulation
In this regard, I would remind everyone that both lower-instance courts in Georgia acquitted me in this case, and only after a politically motivated three-year delay was the case reopened through the Supreme Court to exert pressure on political opponents and independent media.
Furthermore, courts in France and the United Kingdom have ruled that the Georgian government has pursued political persecution against me for years.
My primary goal in bringing this case before the European Court of Human Rights was for the panel to consider the procedural violations in the justice process and identify the political motivations behind it. Today’s decision vindicates my position.
I would like to extend my gratitude to the team of lawyers who worked on this case for many months.