"Gavrilov was brought into Georgia by both me and your party chairman together - that much I can tell you," Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said during a plenary session of Parliament, responding to For Georgia party MP Vika Pilpani, who had claimed that Kobakhidze was the Speaker of Parliament who "brought Gavrilov to Georgia."

Kobakhidze argued that a Russian MP could not have entered Georgia without the approval of the Minister of Internal Affairs. Therefore, he said, Giorgi Gakharia, who was Interior Minister at the time, "was precisely the minister who allowed Gavrilov to cross the Georgian border." The Prime Minister also stated that one of the reasons permission had been granted was that Gavrilov had not violated Georgia's Law on Occupied Territories.

"Vika Pilpani mentioned Gavrilov, who was brought into Georgia by both me and your party chairman together - that much I can tell you. At the time, Mr. Gakharia was the Minister of Internal Affairs, and you can easily verify from a technical standpoint whether it is possible for any Russian MP to enter Georgia without the Interior Minister's approval. Of course it is not.

Moreover, parliamentary hearings were held on this issue. For example, at the Foreign Relations Committee, the committee chair and the First Vice Speaker were given a detailed briefing about what was taking place, who was coming, and how they were coming. At the time, there was zero reaction. However, this lady - not the chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, but the other one - was the first to stir up hysteria over Gavrilov's visit to Georgia, despite knowing everything. Incidentally, she and Gakharia were very close.

Everyone knew everything. One of the reasons why it was decided, together with Mr. Gakharia, to allow Gavrilov into Georgia was that he had not violated the Law on Occupied Territories.

In 2016, there was another case when three Russian MPs who had violated the Law on Occupied Territories were allowed into Georgia. At that time, Davit Usupashvili and the United National Movement agreed to admit those three members of the Russian State Duma. Against that background, there were no questions about allowing Gavrilov into the country. Gakharia had no objections either. In fact, not only did he have no objections - he personally allowed him into Georgia and personally authorized his passage across the border.

These are the facts. I have demonstrated with facts that it is not in your interest to speculate on this issue," Kobakhidze said.