(Washington, DC) – As two of the Senate’s most outspoken friends of the people of Georgia, we are deeply committed to a strong U.S.-Georgia relationship and believe that Georgia’s destiny is in the West.  As such, in December 2012, we called on the new government of Georgia “to avoid even the perception of selective justice against members of the previous government.”

Unfortunately, recent events, including the arrest and detention of former senior Georgian officials as well as the unbalanced number of prosecutions against members of the opposition party, have deepened our unease and are cause for concern.  The possibility that these arrests are seen as political retribution or designed to settle political scores can undermine the future of democracy in Georgia, and we will be closely scrutinizing these cases as they move forward. 

We expect that in the pursuit of justice, any arrests, detentions, or investigations will be fair, transparent, and completely impartial, and we expect the government to abide by the Prime Minister’s commitment to “ensure against any political influence in the ongoing judicial processes.” 

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