What criminal charges are filed against recently arrested ex-president Saakashvili?

Georgia’s former President Mikheil Saakashvili has been detained today, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has announced. "Our law enforcement agencies had prior information about his (Saakashvili’s) movement from Ukraine to Georgia and the process was under the control” Garibashvili stated.

Georgian ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili released a live video allegedly from Georgia’s coastal city of Batumi late yesterday and said that he is already in Georgia ahead of tomorrow’s municipal elections. In the video Saakashvili has urged the public to vote for the United National Movement (UNM) in the elections and if not the UNM, then some other, smaller, ‘real opposition parties’ and not for the Georgian Dream ruling party (GD) or ex-PM Giorgi Gakharia’s For Georgia party. 

Tbilisi Court of Appeals did not change the previous verdict delivered by Tbilisi City Court in January this year and found the third president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili guilty for abuse of power over the high-profile murder case of Sandro Girgvliani in 2006. 

On November 7, 2007 a series of anti-government protests took place across Georgia and ended with protesters being dispersed by police who used tear gas and water cannons. A total of 508 people were taken to hospital when riot police dispersed thousands of protesters.

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has been summoned to the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia to be questioned as a witness on a number of high-profile cases.

Criminal charges have been strengthened against the country’s former President Mikheil Saakashvili for organising a physical attack on Valeri Gelashvili in 2005, which left the opposition Member of Parliament with life-threatening injuries.

The embezzlement of 8, 837,000 GEL of state funds is the new charge against Georgia’s ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, presented today by the Chief Prosecutor’s Office.

Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office has officially filed criminal charges against ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili today, July 28.

The Georgian Foreign Ministry has denied the alleged summoning of the Georgian Ambassador to Ukraine Teimuraz Sharashenidze to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry over the recent arrest of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. The ministry has stated that the diplomat of the Georgian embassy will hold a meeting with Ukrainian authorities regarding the case. 

Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili has stated that she will never pardon former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili who has been arrested on October 1 in Tbilisi. She noted that the rule of law requires detention of Saakashvili saying that ‘before the law all are equal.’ 

Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has visited the recently detained ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili in the prison of Rustavi and has announced that Saakashvili considers himself a political prisoner and starts a hunger strike. Lomjaria also stated that as a citizen of Ukraine Saakashvili requests a meeting with the Ukrainian consul. 

Georgian Parliament Speaker Kakha Kuchava has stated after casting his ballot in today’s municipal elections that the recent arrest of Georgia’s ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili will not affect ‘brotherly relations with Ukraine.’ 

In a letter from a Rustavi detention facility ex-president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili says all criminal accusations against him are false. Addressing the Georgian population, Saakashvili says when he ‘left everything in Kyiv’ and arrived in Georgia he was aware that ‘most probably’ he would have been detained.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has announced at a briefing in Truskavets, Ukraine today that he will work to bring Ukrainian citizen and former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, currently detained in Georgia, back to Ukraine using "various means".

Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has stated earlier today that former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili ‘possibly’ violated the Ukrainian legislature by crossing its border illegally. Zalkaliani noted that before Saakashvili became a Ukrainian citizen ‘he was the president and a citizen of Georgia and has been charged in accordance with Georgian legislation.’

Georgia’s Chief Prosecutor’s Office has charged father and son who transported ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili to Georgia’s western region of Samegrelo after he illegally crossed into Georgia several days ago.

Tbilisi City Court has denied bail to Zurab and Shalva Tsotsoria, who are currently detained for transporting ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili to Georgia’s western region of Samegrelo after he illegally crossed into Georgia several days ago.

Opposition United National Movement (UNM) MP Levan Khabeishvili has announced a ‘large-scale’ demonstration to release recently detained Georgian former president Mikheil Saakashvili and called on the public to join. "We must start preparing for a large rally, the whole of Georgia must stand on its feet...Let's start organising from here and interacting with each other,” says Khabeishvili in his Facebook post. 

Georgian former President Mikheil Saakashvili allegedly entered Georgia’s Black Sea port city of Poti via Ukrainian private company UkrFerry’s boat Vilnius ‘hidden in a truck,’ the Georgian Public Broadcaster’s (GPB) weekly analytical program New Week reports. The GPB says Saakashvili set foot in Georgia on September 29 at nine p.m. via boat which departed from the trading port of Chernomorsk in the Odessa region. 

Ruling party MP and Vice Parliament Speaker Gia Volski has responded to the protest rally organised by the largest opposition party, United National Movement (UNM), stating that ‘the number of people gathered at the rally proved nothing to me.’ The UNM and its supporters demanded the release of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who was arrested on October 1, the day before municipal elections in the country took place.

Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze says that a medical council will be held today to assess the health of ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili who is currently serving time in prison. Tikaradze explained that she is not personally involved in the discussion regarding the ex-president’s health, and the medical council is being convened on the request of Saakashvili's personal doctor Nikoloz Kipshidze.

The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party MP Shalva Papuashvili has stated earlier today that those calling for the release of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili ‘do not respect the rule of law’, in response to dozens of international officials’ joint letter. 

The third president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, who was detained in Tbilisi on October 1, has been officially charged for the illegal crossing of the state border earlier today. Six other criminal charges are filed against Saakashvili who has been convicted to six years of imprisonment in two cases while four other criminal cases are still being heard in Tbilisi City Court.

Georgian former president Mikheil Saakashvili, who was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1 after eight years in political exile, has demanded the Georgian Dream (GD) government take him to court, where he will provide ‘all true information’ about him both for the international community and the Georgian people.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili says the country’s currently arrested former president, Mikheil Saakashvili, ‘is trying to imitate Adolf Hitler, but he is a fake Hitler.’ 

Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili’s Ukrainian lawyer Evgen Grushovets claims he was denied entry to Georgia. The lawyer says that he was stopped at Tbilisi International Airport and sent back to Ukraine without any explanation. 

US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly C. Degnan says that she is glad a multidisciplinary team is monitoring former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili in prison, noting that the US is also closely observing his condition.

Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been on hunger strike since his arrest in Tbilisi on October 1, announced earlier today that he will no longer cooperate with the medical council and will refuse to receive hunger-related treatment.

The Lelo - Partnership for Georgia faction, composed of seven opposition MPs, has boycotted parliament's plenary sessions until arrested former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, is brought to a civil clinic to receive ‘proper medical care’ after a 33-day hunger strike. 

Former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili released a letter from Rustavi Prison No. 12 earlier today, urging the public to join anti-government rallies announced by the opposition. Saakashvili claims the opposition won the local self-government elections in all cities of Georgia, and asks the citizens of Georgia to join the street rallies, demanding the annulment of election results and his release from prison.

Georgian opera singer Paata Burchuladze has requested the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party let him ‘replace’ the former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili in prison. Burchuladze said that he ‘does not want to be an accomplice in the third president’s murder,’ and asked the GD to let him ‘replace’ Saakashvili in prison.

The Penitentiary Service of Georgia has denied speculation that an ambulance was called to Rustavi Prison No.12 due to an alleged deterioration in the health of former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili. The penitentiary service said that the ambulance was called to administer vaccinations to prisoners in Prison No.16, which is adjacent to the Prison No.12.

Georgia's State Security Service has claimed it has identified plans for "assassination" of an opposition figure and blocking of government institutions by organisers of large rallies expected on Saturday in support of the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili.

Minister of Justice of Georgia, Rati Bregadze, has alleged the imprisoned former president of the country, Mikheil Saakashvili, eats diet outside "medical designation" in contradiction to his hunger strike, and in contrast to comments by the private physician of the politician.

Georgia's justice minister Rati Bregadze has revealed the nearest hearings of a case against Mikheil Saakashvili could take place at the penitentiary facility in the city of Rustavi where the politician is located, as the United National Movement-led rallies are set to launch outside the prison and in capital Tbilisi on Saturday.

The US government has called on Georgian authorities to take steps to ensure the country’s former president, Mikheil Saakashvili’s, urgent psychological and physical needs, US Department of State Spokesperson Ned Price stated yesterday. The Department of State also encouraged the Georgian government to treat Saakashvili ‘fairly and with dignity,’ noting that they are ‘closely observing’ the situation around the former president. 

Tbilisi City Court has denied the accusations of former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili’s legal team that the court restricted the ex-president’s right to protection by banning his two lawyers from attending the trial on November 10.

Tbilisi City Court Judge Badri Kochlamazashvili says that trial hearings in a case involving former president Mikheil Saakashvili may be held in prison if Saakashvili requests. 

The Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia says that the health condition of former president Mikheil Saakashvili is ‘stable’ on the 47th day of his hunger strike. Deputy head of the Medical Department of the Special Penitentiary Service Giorgi Chidrashvili said earlier today that the former president is under the supervision of doctors around the clock and that all diagnostic and lab tests are being made to prevent any complications. 

The Lelo – Partnership for Georgia faction has stopped its boycott of parliament and agreed to attend plenary sessions as arrested former president of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili was brought to a civil clinic to receive proper medical care after his 50-day hunger strike.

Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili’s personal doctor Nikoloz Kipshidze says that it may take several months for the imprisoned ex-president to fully recover. Following a visit to Gori military hospital yesterday evening, Kipshidze said that Saakashvili feels weak, but that his blood pressure is within normal bounds.

Fifteen opposition activists, including opposition leader Gigi Ugulava, were arrested at a rally near Tbilisi City Court for disobeying police orders earlier today during a trial concerning former president Mikheil Saakashvili.  Saakashvili was allowed to attend the hearing in person, which concerns illegal dispersal of an opposition rally back in 2007, for the first time since his arrest in Tbilisi on October 1. Before the hearing took place, Saakashvili said that he distrusts the Georgian court, noting that he ‘would have used the opportunity’ to address the public. 

The Special Penitentiary Service has denied keeping the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s health records secret, following his transfer to a civilian clinic for medical examinations on Sunday.

It is a “proven fact” that “millions were spent” from the Georgian state budget for “luxuries” for Mikheil Saakashvili, Prosecutor General Irakli Shotadze said on Friday in comments on charges against the imprisoned former President.

If the imprisoned former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili decides to withdraw from politics, the move will “in no way” lead to his release from prison, Mikheil Sarjveladze, an MP from the ruling Georgian Dream party, said on Monday in response to comments by Saakashvili’s lawyers about his alleged plans to leave the political scene to “look after his health”.

The distancing of imprisoned former President  Mikheil Saakashvili from Georgian politics is “unimaginable”, Khatia Dekanoidze, the Chair of the United National Movement party in the state legislature, said on Wednesday in comments on recent statements by Saakashvili’s lawyers about the former President's plans to withdraw from politics due to “poor health”. 

Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Thursday said the Government had done “everything” to protect the right to health of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Twelve individuals convicted by the previous United National Movement government for an attempted armed coup in 2011 were acquitted by Tbilisi court of appeals last week, the Human Rights Centre, a domestic organisation representing the defendants, said on Wednesday. 

The Georgian justice ministry is “doing everything” to ensure that the health of the  imprisoned former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili is “absolutely protected” alongside that of other inmates, prime minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Sunday.

Georgian parliament speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Monday told Tiny Kox, the president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, that the passage in body’s recently adopted resolution citing the imprisoned former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili as a “political prisoner” opposing Russian president Vladimir Putin was “baseless” and “damaged the credibility” of the Assembly in the Georgian public. 

Kakha Kaladze, the mayor of Tbilisi and the secretary general of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said a decision on whether to offer a pardon to the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili was for the current president Salome Zourabichvili to make, but added his position was that “everyone must answer for crimes committed”.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Sunday said the “shameful” resolution that called for the release of Georgia’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili on health grounds and was adopted by the European Parliament last month had “confirmed” the former official was “their agent”.