Saakashvili calls on emigrants to return to Georgia by the end of month ‘for a decisive battle’
Former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili says that the United National Movement will organise rallies on a daily basis around Georgia to demand his release from prison. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili has released a letter from Rustavi Prison No. 12 earlier today and asked emigrants to return to Georgia ‘for a week, by the end of the month’ to take part in a ‘decisive battle.’
Saakashvili says that ‘active public involvement is crucial’ for the United National Movement (UNM) to win the municipal election run-offs on October 30 and for his release from prison.
Daily rallies in all cities of Georgia are necessary to force the Georgian Dream government to release me. They (the GD) are doing their utmost to keep me behind bars,” Saakashvili wrote.
UNM member Levan Bezhashvili also said earlier today that the party will organise rallies in all cities of Georgia and demand Saakashvili’s release.
Saakashviili says he returned to Georgia after eight years in political exile to support his UNM party in the October 2 municipal elections and replace the current Georgian Dream government, as he says, via snap parliamentary elections.
Both Saakashvili and UNM had expected the ruling party to receive less than 43% of the vote in the proportional part of the municipal elections, which, per the EU-mediated agreement of April 2021 (from which GD withdrew ahead of elections), would force the ruling party to accept snap parliamentary elections.
However, GD received almost 47% of the vote, and won the majority of mayoral and majoritarian seats.
The election run-offs in 20 of 64 mayoral and majoritarian constituencies will take place on October 30, in which the GD and UNM candidates will compete in 17 constituencies.
UNM claims that it has the chance to win all the constituencies, while the GD states that all of its candidates will win.
Saakashvili was detained in Tbilisi on October 1 and has been on the hunger strike since then.
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.
The United Nations Movement (UNM) plans to hold ‘large rallies’ in all large cities in Georgia, during which demonstrators will demand the release of former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili from prison, UNM member Levan Bezhashvili said earlier today.
A protest rally organized by the opposition United National Movement (UNM) in central Tbilisi demanding the release of ex-president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, who was detained on October 1 a day before the municipal elections has ended.
Georgian law enforcers are present at various locations in central Tbilisi in the evening to ensure peace during the United National Movement (UNM) rally which began at 6 p.m. and where demonstrators are demanding the release of former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili from prison.
Three individuals demanding Georgia’s ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili’s release have been detained, protesters report. Civil activists supporting Saakashvili have gathered close to the house and business centre of former ruling party chair Bidzina Ivanishvili.
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.
Opposition MP Salome Samadashvili says former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili should be given the right to appeal the verdict against him as he didn’t attend court hearings.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has denounced the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party, saying ‘the evil force, which is behind multiple crimes, must end as an organisation and as a party.’ He stated that former president Mikheil Saakashvili will have to serve his six-year term and accused him once again of ‘misleading and cheating the public.’
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has addressed crowds at a large assembly organized by the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party today, where he said that the country has a government which is ‘well-aware of the needs and necessities’ of its people and is taking ‘all steps’ to ensure Georgia’s stable and peaceful development.