Saakashvili denies political asylum
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"Why do I need political asylum?” asked Georgia’s former president Mikheil Saakashvili when asked if he would request asylum in Hungary or any other country.
Saakashvili, who is currently in the Hungarian capital, gave an interview with Georgian television channel Rustavi 2 where he spoke about his recent indictments.
"Why do I need political asylum? As you can see, all countries are happy to receive me. I have a very good reception in United States of America and you should see their reactions. I have a good reception worldwide,” he said in the interview, which was recorded in Budapest.
Saakashvili noted all of Georgia’s international friends were "mad” that criminal charges had been laid against the country’s former leader. He said the only county which justified charges against him and was happy with the situation was Russia.
"Everywhere else, who is our friend, who protects us and on whom we depend, they are all angry,” Saakashvili said.
In the interview Saakashvili responded to the interrogation of former Georgian Parliament Speaker and current opposition activist Nino Burjanadze, and said it would be same if the prosecution had questions for Shah Abbas.
"Let them take a testimony from Shah Abbas. Would not it be better if they take the testimony from Putin? Putin and Medvedev will be the best witnesses. Putin, Medvedev, General Borisov, I can give them a long list of who will give them their favorable testimony about me,” he said.
The ex-President also spoke about possible Russian influence on this case and noted that grief and instincts of one oligarch who had "an inferiority complex” coincided with the interests of Russia.
"Only Russians are happy to limit my [ability to travel] because they are irritated with my movement to Ukraine. How can they limit my relocations? As you can see I am here today in the main country of Europe and am meeting with its leader and [I can] go to more places than the current leader of the Georgian Government. They will go to even less places in light of what they are doing [to me]. I shall walk and walk for the benefit of Georgia, and no one will limit me,” he said.
After this he added there were only two countries he was unable to visit and was extremely saddened one of them was Georgia.
"In case of Georgia this is very sad because after all, my son is being raised in Georgia and I miss my son and my family, but despite this we will endure,” he said.
"I miss my country but this is a temporary phenomenon and we will undoubtedly accomplish our started job,” the ex-President noted.
Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office officially filed criminal charges against Saakashvili on July 28. The criminal case pertains to violent dispersal of anti-governmental mass protests on November 7, 2007; unlawful raiding of Imedi TV by riot police and illegal take-over of property owned by late media tycoon Badri (Arkadi) Patarkatsishvili.
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