Because you are acting as lawyers for Giorgi Gakharia, that is why you are asking these questions – you are taking on the role of defense attorneys. Then I must be a judge, I even have a gavel, and we should decide everything here in the parliament hall and issue verdicts, said Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili during a plenary session of Parliament, where Prosecutor General Giorgi Gvarakidze was being heard.

The Speaker made this remark while explaining why the parliamentary rules prohibit discussing the substance of specific criminal cases. His statement followed questions from the “For Georgia” faction regarding the so-called Chorchana and June 20 criminal cases.

“I think this moment clearly showed us why this restriction exists in the Rules of Procedure of the Parliament, so that specific criminal cases are not discussed. Of course, the prosecutor will speak about the substance of the charges, and you, in this case, because you are acting as Giorgi Gakharia’s lawyers, that is why you asked these questions. You are acting as defense attorneys. Otherwise, the accused person might not have any defender in this chamber.

Then I must be a judge, I even have a gavel, so I should take on the role of a judge and we should decide everything here in the parliamentary chamber and issue verdicts. That is exactly why this restriction exists, and why it is not appropriate to discuss the substance of criminal cases. Thank you, Mr. Gvarakidze, because your response also gave us the opportunity to demonstrate once again, through an example, why the restriction on discussing specific criminal cases exists in the rules,” Papuashvili said.

Earlier, Prosecutor General Giorgi Gvarakidze refused to engage in political debate with members of the “For Georgia” faction, stating that they should follow Giorgi Gakharia’s criminal cases in court.

“We cannot hold Giorgi Gakharia’s trial here in Parliament. The trial is ongoing, and it would be better to wait for the court’s decision, because the official position of the Prosecutor’s Office on both the Chorchana and June 20 cases has been submitted to the court, and I must repeat here what we are proving in court. I cannot enter into political debate with you under any circumstances. I believe this process should be moved where it is actually taking place – we should observe it there. If you or any defense representative is defending Giorgi Gakharia’s rights and interests there, let us continue the defense there, and we will continue supporting the prosecution we have presented,” Gvarakidze said.