The U.S. State Department has placed four Georgian judges on a visa blacklist, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced, accusing them of “involvement in significant corruption.”
Mikheil Chinchaladze, Levan Murusidze, Irakli Shengelia, and Valerian Tsertsvadze “abused their positions as court Chairmen and members of Georgia’s High Council of Justice, undermining the rule of law and the public’s faith in Georgia’s judicial system,” Blinken said in a statement.
The U.S. “continues to stand with all Georgians in support of democracy and the rule of law and will continue to promote accountability for those who abuse public power for personal gain. We stand with all judges who have the integrity and courage to act impartially and independently,” Blinken added.
The four judges in question have been on the bench since the presidency of Mikhail Saakashvili.
Tbilisi called Blinken’s announcement an “attempt to subordinate the Georgian courts and Georgian justice system to the U.S."
