By Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively for Vestnik Kavkaza
Georgian lawmaker Levan Berdzenishvili, an old opponent of ex-President Saakashvili, a leader of the Georgian Dream coalition, a political prisoner in Soviet times, discourses upon the inevitability of punishment of the ex-president for his crimes.
- Levan, what is your opinion about the initiation of a criminal case against Mikhail Saakashvili for the crackdown on protests on November 7, 2007, and the pogrom at the Imedi TV Company?
- Georgians will never forgive Saakashvili for what he did at the crackdown on peaceful demonstrations in autumn 2007. I have said it at various tribunals, including the tribunal of the Council of Europe in spring 2008. I was confident that no matter how long the investigation continues, he will have to respond sooner or later.
There are other accusations against Saakashvili. There are questions to him from other cases, but the criminal case was initiated over use of force against protesters, for the beating of his own people and declaring a state of emergency. People were beaten mercilessly, that is why the pogrom at the Imedi TV Company happened, journalists were beaten. It is an outrageous violation of all norms. I remind you that Saakashvili admitted guilt and resigned then.
Can you imagine it: in a country that bids for EU and NATO membership, Saakashvili declared a state of emergency to suppress protesters simultaneously with Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan. If it were not for friends of Georgia all over the world who put pressure on Saakashvili, he would have kept the state of emergency in force for a long time. So Saakashvili committed a whole cascade of crimes and should be punished.
- But can a full-fledged trial be held, Saakashvili is away from the country?
- I am not a bloodthirsty man. I do not want Saakashvili to spend time in jail. Even if he hides somewhere, he will know that he broke the law and let Georgian judges say what will be the cost. I am absolutely confident that on November 7, 2008, Mr. Saakashvili broke the law. Although there is certainly the presumption of innocence. So I cannot go ahead of events, although he has always been violating the presumption of innocence, labeling us as Russian spies.
He has called me a Russian spy cooperating with the Russian embassy many times, the police beat my wife those days, my brother was almost killed…
I hope that the accusations against Saakashvili will be qualified. So Saakashvili will not evade a punishment. But personally, I want the court to be harsh towards the crime and soft towards the man. I do not think that the punitive part of the law is the most important thing here. The most important thing really is to find the guilty one. Any other authorities should always know that such actions should not be done and that force should not be used against people, using grenades, rubber bullets. It should be a lesson for everyone.
Says Levan BerdzenishviliBy Georgy Kalatozishvili, Tbilisi. Exclusively for Vestnik KavkazaGeorgian lawmaker Levan Berdzenishvili, an old opponent of ex-President Saakashvili, a leader of the Georgian Dream coalition, a political prisoner in Soviet times, discourses upon the inevitability of punishment of the ex-president for his crimes.- Levan, what is your opinion about the initiation of a criminal case against Mikhail Saakashvili for the crackdown on protests on November 7, 2007, and the pogrom at the Imedi TV Company?- Georgians will never forgive Saakashvili for what he did at the crackdown on peaceful demonstrations in autumn 2007. I have said it at various tribunals, including the tribunal of the Council of Europe in spring 2008. I was confident that no matter how long the investigation continues, he will have to respond sooner or later.There are other accusations against Saakashvili. There are questions to him from other cases, but the criminal case was initiated over use of force against protesters, for the beating of his own people and declaring a state of emergency. People were beaten mercilessly, that is why the pogrom at the Imedi TV Company happened, journalists were beaten. It is an outrageous violation of all norms. I remind you that Saakashvili admitted guilt and resigned then.Can you imagine it: in a country that bids for EU and NATO membership, Saakashvili declared a state of emergency to suppress protesters simultaneously with Pervez Musharraf in Pakistan. If it were not for friends of Georgia all over the world who put pressure on Saakashvili, he would have kept the state of emergency in force for a long time. So Saakashvili committed a whole cascade of crimes and should be punished.- But can a full-fledged trial be held, Saakashvili is away from the country?- I am not a bloodthirsty man. I do not want Saakashvili to spend time in jail. Even if he hides somewhere, he will know that he broke the law and let Georgian judges say what will be the cost. I am absolutely confident that on November 7, 2008, Mr. Saakashvili broke the law. Although there is certainly the presumption of innocence. So I cannot go ahead of events, although he has always been violating the presumption of innocence, labeling us as Russian spies.He has called me a Russian spy cooperating with the Russian embassy many times, the police beat my wife those days, my brother was almost killed…I hope that the accusations against Saakashvili will be qualified. So Saakashvili will not evade a punishment. But personally, I want the court to be harsh towards the crime and soft towards the man. I do not think that the punitive part of the law is the most important thing here. The most important thing really is to find the guilty one. Any other authorities should always know that such actions should not be done and that force should not be used against people, using grenades, rubber bullets. It should be a lesson for everyo
