Ex-Pres. Saakashvili demands right of "active engagement" in politics, tells court of "very poor health"

Saakashvili said he wished for “more active engagement” in domestic politics than “appearing just once in three months”. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge

 

Agenda.ge, 03 Jul 2023 - 19:05, Tbilisi,Georgia

Georgia’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili on Monday demanded to be allowed an “opportunity to openly take part in political processes” through “open debates”, and urged the public to “stand up” for his support. 

Saakashvili made the comment as a trial hearing over the case of the 2007 violent breakup of an opposition protest in Tbilisi - during his time in office - was held in Tbilisi City Court on Monday, with the former official appearing via a video link.

The former President said he wished for “more active engagement” in domestic politics than “appearing just once in three months” through court-related sessions, claiming despite “utterly deteriorated health” he felt “spiritually fit and determined to serve the country”. 

Praising the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “my President”, Saakashvili said Russia was “on the verge [of destruction]” on the backdrop of its ongoing aggression against Ukraine, and claimed “we should be strong and ready” to use the developments for a “peaceful reintegration” of Georgia’s Russian-occupied Abkhazia and Tskhinvali (South Ossetia) regions. 

Claiming he was “absolutely innocent” on all charges related to his time in power - and calling them “invented” - Saakashvili  accused the Georgian Government of “bringing me to this [poor] condition”, before standing up to show the audience his body via the video link session. 

He demanded an apology from Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili to him - calling himself the “founder of the Georgian state” - as well as members of the European Parliament who have supported Saakashvili in his detention, and the former official’s family for “bringing me to his condition”.