Ex-president Saakashvili summoned for questioning

Former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili has been summoned for questioning by the country’s authorities although the reason for his summons is unclear.

The Chief Prosecutor’s Office summoned Saakashvili to appear at the Office on July 28 at 11am. The summons did not specify what the former leader will be questioned about, local media said today.

Meanwhile a United National Movement (UNM) leader – the party Saakashvili has been involved with for nine years – believed former Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili was behind the move and said the questioning would act as an "answer to his international activities and especially in those in Ukraine, against the enemies of Ukraine and Georgia”.

"Mikheil Saakashvili is not going to be involved in the joint game of Vladimir Putin and the oligarch and will fight for Georgia's freedom until the end,” a UNM spokesperson said today.

The Chief Prosecutor's Office has not released any information about Saakashvili's questioning however authorities made a few brief comments to journalists regarding the topic.

Current President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili expressed his hope that Saakashvili would understand he was a Georgian citizen and should abide by the laws and regulations of the country.

"On the other side, I hope that the law enforcement bodies will be extremely cautious”, Margvelashvili said.

Saakashvili was initially summoned to appear at the Chief Prosecutor’s Office on March 27 for questioning regarding several high-profile cases but he did not show up.

The Office then gave him the possibility of testifying via video-conference from abroad, which he denied as well.