By permanently entrenching the court clan, you are endangering the national interests of our country - a former judge addresses Ivanishvili

Former judge Besarion Alavidze has written an open letter to Bidzina Ivanishvili calling for the dismissal of judges from the clan.

Alavidze, who at various times worked in Tbilisi Court of Appeals and Supreme Court, writes that Ivanishvili has jeopardized the national interests of the country by entrenching the court clan indefinitely, and if he [Ivanishvili] happens to need a fair trial on the "clan" rule, he would not have any.

Alavidze describes the workings of the judiciary in the past and now and writes:

"Mr. Bidzina, you often hear criticism and praise, truth and lies, this is how this world works, this is human nature, sometimes you are treated unfairly and sometimes fairly, often it is even unbearable. You know me and have studied my psychology, my personality has often been the subject of discussion in your offices, good or bad, I have repeatedly received offers of high positions, although I have never accepted your offer. So as not to get tired and overwhelmed with emotion, I want to tell you directly what I have to say to you - I urge you to address the members of the court "clan" directly and "advise" them to go home, the entire court corps was really waiting for their release, but after the 2012 elections disappointed the honest and conscientious judges. Now that the most important issues in the history of modern Georgia have been resolved, you have a chance to go down in history as a follower of our famous ancestors, whose cherished dream was to return to the European family and establish an independent tribunal, not one that is as unreliable as today. My advice, a request, even, may seem strange at first sight, but sometimes the end justifies the means, because they came this way to the positions that exist today. Let me tell you honestly and with full responsibility, the people you trusted told the judges, myself included, the story of the "new obedience"-We will be with whomever comes to power with a majority, as we were with the UNM, as we are now and as we will be in the future. By perpetuating the court clan you are endangering the national interest of our country, these people dictated to the judges what decision to make before you were in opposition, time can do everything, you know, maybe you will find yourself in a difficult situation and still need a fair trial, you are guaranteeing yourself a life that you cannot get that under "clan" rule. You have a chance to defuse the landmine in your hands and accomplish a historic mission. You can present yourself righteously before future generations, and finally, if my family members or relatives are put in any danger because of this letter, you should take on this responsibility, for I have surrendered myself!", Besarion Alavidze writes.