The Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Jim Risch commented on the verdict delivered against Giorgi Rurua, co-founder of the Mtavari Arkhi.

“I am very concerned about Giorgi Rurua’s verdict on the fictitious charges. The judiciary should never be used for political purposes. Ahead of the elections, in the interests of depolarization of the political climate, Salome Zourabichvili should pardon Rurua, as she did in the cases of Ugulava and Okruashvili.

I am very happy that necessary changes have been made to the electoral system of Georgia and I expect to see free and fair elections in October.

However, the elections will be free and fair only if the political parties are able to act freely, without the fear of political persecution”, - said the Senator in the interview to Voice of America’s Georgian service.