To investigate the 2008 Russia-Georgia war and assign responsibility to the National Movement, the ruling Georgian Dream may petition the Constitutional Court, according to Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze. He mentioned several legal avenues, including an appeal to the prosecutor's office and the establishment of a parliamentary investigative commission.
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"The legal approach can vary. For instance, it could involve an appeal to the Prosecutor's Office, the formation of a parliamentary investigative commission, or a petition to the Constitutional Court. All these options can be used together or individually. The public will be informed about these actions, but the key issue is that the 2008 crime committed by the Saakashvili regime, the National Movement regime, should be thoroughly investigated," said the Prime Minister.
When asked why Georgian Dream is now discussing the war investigation, 12 years into their rule and 2 months before the elections, Kobakhidze responded that the answer is "very simple."
"You know that there were trials in The Hague and Strasbourg where it was crucial for us to win. Thanks to the efforts of our government, Georgia and the Georgian army emerged victorious in these proceedings. It was established in The Hague and Strasbourg that the Georgian army did not violate human rights or commit war crimes. This is a significant victory achieved through our government's efforts. Regarding the investigation of the war itself, including the issue of its initiation, the National Movement has already taken a stance. Specifically, the National Movement signed a European Council resolution asserting that they started the August war. Furthermore, Salome Zourabichvili, the president of the National Movement, who essentially led the 2018 campaign on this issue, agrees with this stance. He claimed that Saakashvili initiated the war. In other words, the 'National Movement' and their president are aligned on this matter. They have declared and documented that they themselves started the war, but we need to establish the facts. We will see what the investigation reveals. The messages from the National Movement and the Russian government align with each other, both stating that Saakashvili's government started the war in 2008," said Irakli Kobakhidze.
At the end of 2022, the International Criminal Court in The Hague concluded its investigation into the 2008 Russia-Georgia war case, ruling out any violations committed by Georgia.
Sixteen years have passed since the August war, which resulted in the deaths of 228 Georgian civilians and 14 police officers. According to the Ministry of Defense, 169 servicemen were killed and 1747 people were wounded. Approximately 150,000 people were displaced from their homes, with 30,000 still living in exile. As a result of the war, Georgia lost control over 189 villages, and 125 settlements remain occupied by Russia.
