Protest of the Human Rights Center and Independent Lawyers in front of the Prosecutor General’s Office

On February 4, at 11:30 am, in front of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Georgia, Human Rights Center and group of independent lawyers held protest action in connection with the scheduled interview in the prosecutorial council with Irakli Shotadze, candidate for the position of the prosecutor general. 

Human Rights Center again called on the members of the prosecutorial council not to support the candidature of Irakli Shotadze on the position of the prosecutor general. 

Shotadze resigned from the position on May 31, 2018; he had been on the position since 2015. Before his resignation, the family members and supporters of Davit Saralidze, teenage killed in Khorava street accident in December 2017, held demonstrations to protest the partial and ineffective investigation. 

Regardless the 2017 legislative reforms the prosecutor’s office remains politicized. Irakli Shotadze is still affiliated with the current authority for what he is not appropriate candidature for the position of the prosecutor general.  

Shotadze is associated with the ineffective and biased investigation of many high-profile cases and many unresolved cases, where victims still urge for justice.

While Shotadze was prosecutor general, the murder case of Temirlan Machalikashvili was investigated through multiple miscarriages; also ineffective investigation over the alleged abduction of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli from Tbilisi center. 

Unlawful seizure of property from businessman Davit Adeishvili is also associated with the prosecutor Shotadze. The case is still under investigation and nobody was held responsible. 

The investigation into so-called “Cyanide Case” was dragged out while Shotadze was prosecutor general; there are still many questions over this case. 

It was alarming when in September 2019, leader of the political movement Lelo Mamuka Khazaradze stated in his interview with the TV-Company Pirveli that Irakli Shotadze was one of the participants of the informal meetings in the house of Bidzina Ivanishvili.

With this background, re-appointment of Shotadze to the position of the prosecutor general is a direct signal to the legitimization of the systemic politicization that further aggravates the content of the political responsibility.

We call on the members of the prosecutorial council not to support the candidature of Irakli Shotadze and ensure access to and transparency of their decision. 

Human Rights Center