UNM rally ends at presidential palace, party announces ‘daily’ demonstrations
The United National Movement opposition party says that rallies will be held in Tbilisi on a daily basis until former president Mikheil Saakashvili is brought to a civil clinic. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.
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The United National Movement (UNM) opposition party rally, which aimed to block roads on both banks of the Mtkvari River today, ended at the presidential palace in central Tbilisi shortly before as the party leadership changed their previous plans.
UNM head Nika Melia claimed that the government aimed to disperse the ‘peaceful rally,’ and they changed the plan to ‘prevent any provocations or bloodshed.’
Melia said that by the decision the UNM ‘once again proved’ that ‘we are a responsible political force.’
Riot police and water cannons were present at Baratashvili bridge in central Tbilisi earlier today, where the UNM activists were marching to block roads.
Demonstrators are demanding the transfer of former president Mikheil Saakashvili to a civil clinic. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
On the way to the bridge, the UNM decided to change the route and demonstrators marched to the presidential palace.
Melia says that demonstrations, with the demand to transfer former president Mikheil Saakashvili to a civil clinic, will continue on a daily basis.
Deputy Interior Minister Aleksandre Darakhvelidze stated today that the UNM had plans to deliberately block roads and cause traffic jams, ‘which is a violation of the law, and the ministry will use proportional force and act in accordance with the law to prevent the violation.’
The Georgian Dream government says that the UNM is interested in unrest. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Saakashvili stated last week that he is ready to stop his 46-day hunger strike if he is brought to a civil clinic. However, the Georgian Justice Ministry has not satisfied this condition so far.
The government says that Saakashvili and the UNM have plans to cause unrest if the former president is brought to a civil clinic.
Saakashvili was convicted in Georgia in absentia in 2018 for abuse of power and was sentenced to six years in prison.
He has also been charged with five other offenses.
He says he returned to Georgia after eight years in political exile to remove the Georgian Dream from power.
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.
Riot police and water cannons are at Baratashvili bridge in central Tbilisi, where activists of the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party are marching to block roads on the both banks of the Mtkvari River.The UNM is demanding an ‘immediate transfer’ of former president Mikheil Saakashvili to a civil clinic from a prison hospital, after a 46-day hunger strike.
Former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili has again not been allowed by the Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia to attend a trial in Tbilisi City Court today about an embezzlement case in which he is implicated.
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.
Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze says that former president Mikheil Saakashvili is receiving all necessary medical services in Gldani Prison No.18 hospital, and that the ministry has invited more doctors to monitor Saakashvili while he is on hunger strike and who will give daily updates about the former president’s health condition.
The opposition United National Movement (UNM) party has held a car rally protest earlier today demanding imprisoned former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili’s transfer from a prison hospital where he is currently receiving care to a civil clinic. Motorcade processions were held on Republic Square, in front of the UNM’s central office and the Central Election Commission building.