Justice Minister: Ukrainian President’s statement on ex-Pres. Saakashvili “unfair, insulting”

Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Wednesday said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s statement alleging that the Georgian Government had been torturing the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili was “unfair and insulting”.

Bregadze was responding to Zelenskyy’s statement, which he made earlier today, saying the Georgian Government was “publicly torturing” Ukrainian citizen Saakashvili and trying to “kill” him. He added he would not discuss the former Georgian President’s arrest, as it was an “internal issue” of Georgia.

• Justice Minister calls on everyone to stop “politicising” execution of justice around ex-Pres. Saakashvili

Zelenskyy must bring “at least one proof of torture” while making such declarations, as all statements, especially made by high officials, require relevant evidence, otherwise, they will not be acceptable, the Minister said. 

He stressed the practice of “inhumane treatment and torture”, under Saakashvili’s administration, had become a “thing of the past”, and accusing the country of torture was “completely” unacceptable by “anyone”. Bregadze added the Government “always” refrained” from evaluating the “unfair” comments made by “certain” politicians in Ukraine, due to its warlike situation.

Saakashvili, who currently holds Ukrainian citizenship and held public positions in the country before his arrest in Tbilisi in October 2021, following his clandestine return, has also been charged with other offences dating back to his time in office in Georgia, with three cases pending in courts.