Georgia's president declines to appear before prosecutors in election fraud investigation

Georgia’s Prosecutor's Office announced on Oct. 30 it had launched an investigation into alleged vote rigging in the recent parliamentary elections. President Salome Zourabichvili, who was summoned for questioning as part of the probe, has refused to appear at the Prosecutor's Office.

During a press conference in Tbilisi, President Zourabichvili presented footage purportedly showing ballot violations. "It is not the President's responsibility to provide evidence that already exists within society," she said, adding that that non-governmental organizations, observers, and citizens have consistently provided substantial evidence, revealing extensive and systematic election rigging.

The investigation followed the opposition’s denunciation of the parliamentary elections as illegitimate. The ruling Georgian Dream party claimed victory with 54% of the votes, despite protests from the pro-Western opposition, which described the election as a "constitutional coup."

President Zourabichvili also noted that her summons to the prosecutor’s office suspiciously coincided with recent remarks by Dmitry Medvedev, former President of Russia and current Deputy Chairman of Russia's Security Council. Medvedev had previously called for Zourabichvili’s "removal from office and arrest."

The European Union expressed concerns about "irregularities" observed during the voting process and called for an investigation. U.S. President Joe Biden said he was "deeply alarmed" by democratic backsliding in the country.

Georgia sinks deeper into Russian-style authoritarianism amid stolen election allegations

Georgia’s Oct. 26 parliamentary election presented a clear geopolitical choice for the country’s voters, but criticism is mounting that the ruling regime stole the vote. After years of vacillating between the West and Russia and paying lip service to European integration, the country’s ruling Georg…

The Kyiv IndependentOleg Sukhov

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