US Congress treats arrests of former Georgia officials as politically motivated

The official statement of the US Congress on cooperation with Georgia in the defence sphere has called the recent arrests of former officials in Georgia politically motivated.

"Since the October 2012 parliamentary elections the new Georgian Government has taken a series of measures against former officials and members of the current political opposition that appear to be motivated by political considerations," says the statement.

The document states that "over 100 former Georgian Government officials have been charged with criminal violations since the October 2012 parliamentary elections," including the Secretary General of "United National Movement" Vano Merabishvili.

The Congress has stressed that Georgia is a very valuable ally to the United States. Meanwhile, according to the authors of the statement, the steps taken by the Georgian Government against former officials and political opponents may have a significant negative impact on the US-Georgia cooperation, including political and economic matters and issues of security and Georgia's advance in the accession to international organizations, the "Caucasus Online" reports.