12/02/2020 (Agence Europe) – On Wednesday 12 February, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service said that the circumstances surrounding the Georgian Supreme Court's judgement against opposition politician Giorgi 'Gigi' Ugulava were “not conducive to advancing the political dialogue aimed at a much needed depolarisation of the political situation in Georgia”. Ugulava was sentenced to over three years' imprisonment for corruption in a closed hearing that neither he nor his lawyer was allowed to attend. “Upholding the highest standards of judicial independence, fair trial and the rule of law is an essential commitment of Georgia under the Association Agreement”, said the spokesperson. The spokesperson stated that the EU was looking closely at the verdict and would continue to monitor other trials related to high-profile cases. (CG)