Lawyers: Saakashvili may not be allowed to attend own trial hearing due to opposition’s rally
The Georgian opposition has plans to hold a rally in front of Tbilisi City Court on Monday during a trial hearing concerning former president Mikheil Saakashvili. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Lawyers of former president Mikheil Saakashvili have called on the government to ensure Saakashvili’s presence at a trial hearing in a case concerning him on Monday despite the opposition’s plans to hold a rally at Tbilisi City Court.
Saakashvili was not allowed to attend three trial hearings in cases concerning him in previous days as, according to the government, the opposition had plans to cause unrest at the court or on the streets during the transportation of the former president to Tbilisi City Court.
In a Facebook post earlier this week, Saakashvili himself urged supporters to hold the rally stating that ‘this will be an opportunity for me to address you for the first time in two months (since his arrest in Tbilisi on October 1).’
Lawyer Shota Tutberidze also said earlier today that Saakashvili agreed to continue treatment in Gori military hospital after his 50-day hunger strike, ‘at least until Monday.’
Saakashvili said yesterday that he would refuse to receive medication if opposition MPs would not be allowed to see him.
Rati Bregadze offers prisoner Mikheil Saakashvili to be transferred to Abramishvili Gori Military Hospital. The Minister made a statement at a briefing today:
— Justice Ministry GEO (@Justice_geo) November 19, 2021
"In the interests of human life and health, this is a place where his health and safety will be protected by the state.” pic.twitter.com/yc1NCVTVwM
The trial on Monday concerns the illegal dispersal of an opposition rally in central Tbilisi on November 7, 2007 in which Saakashvili is charged with the abuse of power.
Three trial hearings have already been held in separate cases concerning Saakashvili over the past several weeks.
However, the Georgian Special Penitentiary Service refused to take Saakashvili to the court ‘to ‘prevent unrest’ because of Saakashvili’s health condition during his hunger strike.
Saakashvili called off his hunger strike last week after he accepted his transfer to Gori military hospital for treatment.
Following this, the Georgian Justice Ministry said that the former president could be taken to the court to attend trial hearings concerning him.
Saakashvili, who is now a citizen of Ukraine and is holding an official post there, says that he returned after eight years in political exile ‘to remove the Georgian Dream government from power.’
He was convicted in absentia in Georgia back in 2018 for abuse of power and was sentenced to six years in prison.
Saakashvili has also been charged with five other offences, including illegal seizure of property, embezzlement, abuse of power, illegally crossing the border and illegal rally dispersal.