Saakashvili: EU perceives arrest of Georgia’s former PM as political persecution
The EU perceives the arrest of Georgia's former Prime Minister Vano Merabishvili as political persecution, Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili told reporters in Batumi.on June 27.
According to him, all people are equal before the law, but Merabishvili's arrest has a political background.
"Unfortunately, the main executive body of Europe namely the EU perceives Vano Merabishvili's case as political persecution. This is very bad for our international position as well as the future of Georgia," the president said.
Merabishvili and former Minister of Labour, Health and Social Affairs Zurab Chiaberashvili, who until recently served as the Governor of the Kakheti region, were arrested on May 21 on charges of creating fictitious jobs for supporters of the National Movement during the implementation of the 2012 public employment programmes.
This is the first episode in the case of opposition leaders. The second concerns appropriation of exclusive villas on the coast of the Black Sea in the village of Kvariati (Adjara Autonomous Republic) and embezzlement of funds from Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia.
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