A Georgia court sentenced the former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, to an additional four-and-a-half years in prison for crossing the border unlawfully when he returned from exile in 2021, his legal team reported. Saakashvili is already serving time for embezzlement and abuse of power while in office, which extends his total sentence to over 12 years. He has persistently denied any wrongdoing and deems the latest sentence “illegal” and “unjust.” Human rights organizations allege that his imprisonment is politically driven.
Saakashvili, who is opposed to Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party, which leans towards closer relations with Russia, as president, he endeavored to strengthen ties with Western governments. In a video posted on X from the hospital where he is detained, Saakashvili declared, “No matter what, I will fight to the end.” He was also recently sentenced to nine years for embezzlement, which runs concurrently with his existing sentence. In 2018, he was found guilty in absentia in two separate trials.
Saakashvili’s arrest followed his surprise return to Georgia in 2021, prior to the local elections, where he covertly entered the country via a ferry from Ukraine. He then called for anti-government protests but was promptly taken into custody by Georgian authorities. Having ruled Georgia across two terms from 2004 to 2013, Saakashvili largely resided in Ukraine since departing Georgia. He became a Ukrainian citizen in 2015, giving up his Georgian citizenship when he served as governor of Ukraine’s Odessa region, which was later revoked in 2017 before being restored by President Volodymyr Zelensky in 2019.
Saakashvili stated in his video message, wearing a “I’m Ukrainian” shirt, that this sentence serves as a message to President Zelensky, warning against not giving in to Russia’s influence — akin to implying that Saakashvili did not let Georgia succumb to Russia’s influence during his tenure. Zelensky, who hired Saakashvili to lead Ukrainian reforms, has requested his transfer to Kyiv, accusing Russia of orchestrating Saakashvili’s arrest by the Georgian authorities. The European Union and various rights organizations have consistently called for Saakashvili’s release due to concerns about his deteriorating health, labeling his situation as an instance of “political imprisonment” and “apparent political revenge.”
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn0jwnykl10o
