According to the conclusion of the temporary investigative commission of the parliament, the presence of the German ambassador, Hubert Knirsch, in the parliament building on the evening of June 20, 2019 raises serious questions regarding the ambassador’s role in the events that took place that night.
In addition, as noted in the document, the presence of a foreign ambassador in the building during the attempted storming of the parliament building is associated with significant risks.
“The investigative commission questioned Giorgi Choladze, the Chief of the Prime Minister’s Office, Mamuka Bakhtadze, in 2018-2019, who stated that in the evening hours of June 20, 2019, due to the existing situation, he moved from the Chancellery of the Government of Georgia to the Parliament building. He saw that the Minister of Internal Affairs, Giorgi Gakharia, had arranged his workspace in the office of MP Zviad Dzidziguri and was managing the process of dispersing the rally from there. The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Hubert Knirsch, was sitting in the same office. When asked by Giorgi Choladze how the ambassador of a foreign country ended up in the room of the Parliament building where the most important decisions were made at night, Giorgi Gakharia replied that “he was walking along Rustaveli Avenue and my people brought him here.” In addition to the significant risks associated with having a foreign ambassador in the building during an attempted storming of the parliament building, this circumstance raises serious questions about the ambassador’s role in the events that unfolded that night. When questioned again before the investigative commission, Giorgi Gakharia again confirmed the ambassador’s presence in the room with him, but noted that “he had no idea who brought Mr. ambassador into the parliament building,” the document states.
Investigative commission: Presence of German Ambassador Hubert Knirsch in the Parliament building on June 20, 2019 “raises serious questions regarding the ambassador’s role in the events that took place during the night”
