Imedi /  08 June 2026, 15:02 / Reliable source

Rule of law principle must be applied equally in Tbilisi, Yerevan, Berlin and Washington, says Georgian Parliament Speaker

Shalva Papuashvili

Shalva Papuashvili

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said that dozens of opposition politicians had been detained in Armenia ahead of elections without any reaction from the European Union, arguing that the principle of the rule of law should be applied consistently across all countries.

In his remarks, Papuashvili noted that if criminal offenses had been committed, legal proceedings should follow regardless of political considerations.

“If there is a criminal case to be pursued, then it should be pursued. Let me remind you that in 2021 we faced enormous criticism because Nika Melia was placed in detention for violating the terms of his pre-trial release. A major scandal was created around this issue until he was released. The European Union even paid his bail to secure his release”, he said.

“The case eventually reached Strasbourg, where the court confirmed that Brussels had been wrong and that the Georgian justice system had acted correctly”, Papuashvili noted.

He said that If someone had committed a crime and should be arrested, then they should be arrested and that was what the rule of law meant.

“If the rule of law is considered a good thing in Washington, Berlin and Yerevan, then it should be viewed the same way by European Union representatives in Tbilisi.Behind each of these criminal cases stands a prosecution indictment, and there is also case law from Strasbourg that confirms the correctness of Georgia’s judicial system. In addition, a constitutional lawsuit concerning political parties is currently pending”, Papuashvili concluded.

All News

Maka Botchorishvili Hakan Fidan

08 June 2026, 16:17

Foreign policy

Georgian, Turkish FM’s discuss strategic partnership

Strategic partnership between Georgia and Turkey and prospects for its further development were discussed on Monday between Georgian Foreign Minister Maka Botchorishvili and her Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan within the framework of the Georgia-Azerbaijan-Turkey trilateral format in Istanbul.

Davit Matikashvili

08 June 2026, 15:47

Politics

Georgian Parliament official: politically motivated resolutions have no real value

Davit Matikashvili, the Chair of the Committee on Procedural Issues and Rules of the Georgian Parliament, on Monday said resolutions being discussed in the European Parliament and the Council of Europe carry no substantive value if their sole purpose is political retaliation.

Photo: chandlergovernmentindex.com

08 June 2026, 15:30

Politics

Georgian Government ranks 26th globally and top 20 in Europe for law and policy strength

The internationally recognized evaluation center, the Chandler Institute, has published the Good Government Report 2026, which includes the Global Legal and Political Strength Index.

Photo: Parliament of Georgia

08 June 2026, 15:02

Politics

Georgian Parliament Speaker: key strength of Georgia’s economy lies in its diversification and independence

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said the key strength of Georgia’s economy was its diversification, arguing that the country is not dependent on any single economic partner.

Shalva Papuashvili

08 June 2026, 13:44

Foreign policy

Georgian Parliament Speaker welcomes regional peace efforts, wishes Armenian PM success

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvil on Monday wished Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his party success, saying Georgia attaches great importance to the positive dynamics emerging in the South Caucasus.

Photo: Parliament of Georgia

08 June 2026, 13:38

Politics

Georgian Parliament Speaker: EU demands for anti-Russian sanctions are “steps against peace in Georgia”

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said that Georgia and Armenia faced different challenges and “should not be viewed through the same lens”, while arguing that pressure from Brussels on issues such as sanctions policy, visa policy, and domestic legislation concerns Georgia’s sovereignty.

Shalva Papuashvili

08 June 2026, 12:53

Politics

Georgian Parliament Speaker says domestic opposition seeks foreign support instead of voters’ backing

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said the domestic radical opposition was not fighting to win the support of Georgian voters but was instead seeking the sympathy and financial backing of foreign actors.

Photo: Parliament of Georgia

08 June 2026, 12:49

Politics

Georgian Parliament Speaker: Georgia meets all visa liberalisation requirements, but political conditions have been invented

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday said that visa liberalisation had always been based on specific criteria that Georgia had fulfilled and continued to fulfil, adding that new political conditions have recently been introduced, including “demands for Georgia to allow undisclosed EU funding”.

Photo: Parliament of Georgia

08 June 2026, 12:09

Politics

Georgian Parliament Speaker says Brussels must end “hostile policy” toward Georgia

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday criticised a new resolution that the Council of Europe plans to discuss, saying it is aimed solely at creating “informational noise” and further accusing certain European politicians of pursuing policies that harm Georgia.

Irakli Kobakhidze

08 June 2026, 10:45

Foreign policy

Georgian PM congratulates Nikol Pashinyan on election victory

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Sunday congratulated his Armenian counterpart Nikol Pashinyan on his party’s success in the elections.

Photo: Parliament of Georgia

07 June 2026, 14:43

Politics

Georgian Parliament official: EU needs Georgia just as much as Georgia needs EU

Archil Gorduladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on Legal Affairs, on Saturday stated that the relationship between Georgia and the European Union is a two-way street, emphasising that the EU needs Georgia just as much as Georgia needs the EU.

Photo: Imedi TV

07 June 2026, 14:30

Politics

Georgian Parliament official says visa-free travel weaponised as “political blackmail” by EU bureaucracy

Archil Gorduladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee, on Saturday stated that visa-free travel with the European Union was being used as a tool of pressure against Georgia by an “unelected bureaucracy” currently influencing the EU.

Photo: Imedi TV

07 June 2026, 14:22

Politics

Georgia maintained peace despite external pressures, says Georgian Parliament Committee Chair

Georgia has been the target of targeted pressures since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, with clear interests pushing the country to take a side - a demand Tbilisi firmly rejected, said on Saturday Levan Makhashvili, the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on European Integration.

Photo: Parliament of Georgia

07 June 2026, 12:20

Politics

Georgian Parliament official slams EU criticism as biased attempt to force political shift

Levan Makhashvili, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament’s Committee on European Integration, has strongly criticised the European Union’s recent evaluations of Georgia’s state institutions, accusing European partners of employing a “double standard” policy that is damaging the EU’s own reputation in the country.

Photo: Parliament of Georgia

07 June 2026, 12:05

Politics

Georgia’s relations with EU to improve soon, says Georgian Parliament Vice Speaker

Photo: Administration of Government

07 June 2026, 12:03

Politics

Georgia will not be Brussels’ “errand boy” at any cost, says Georgian Parliament Vice Speaker

Georgia is moving forward through a path of reforms, but the country will never act as an “errand boy” for Brussels, said on Saturday Thea Tsulukiani, the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, during an appearance on the political talk show Open Air - Debates.

Photo: Parliament of Georgia

07 June 2026, 11:53

Politics

Armenian PM Pashinyan praises strong ties with Georgia ahead of election results

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has praised the strong ties between Yerevan and Tbilisi, describing the current relationship with Georgia as exceptionally deep and positive.

Photo: Getty Images

06 June 2026, 12:27

Politics

Marcin Rosołowski from Staszic Institute accuses Poland of tolerating insults from Ukraine while judging Georgia

Marcin Rosołowski, a board member of the Staszic Institute Foundation, has published an article highlighting what he describes as “glaring double standards” in Poland’s foreign policy toward Ukraine and Georgia.

Photo: Getty Images

06 June 2026, 12:12

Politics

Marcin Rosołowski from Staszic Institute Foundation: under Russian occupation, Georgia’s caution “simply an instinct for self-preservation, not betrayal”

Marcin Rosołowski, a board member of the Staszic Institute Foundation, has challenged the narrative surrounding the “myth of a pro-Russian Georgia” in his latest article. He argues that Tbilisi’s current cautious, “multi-vector” foreign policy is not an act of betrayal, but rather a fundamental instinct for survival given its geopolitical reality.