Justice Minister: former President has “no legal leverage” to participate in domestic politics

Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Monday said the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili had “voluntarily renounced” his Georgian citizenship and therefore had “no legal leverage” to participate in domestic politics.

Bregadze alleged the opposition United National Movement party was a group run “informally”, including by a citizen of a foreign state, in reference to Saakashvili.

I think it is a clear example of what a political party should not be like. Probably, citizens of Georgia will once again pass a rather harsh political verdict on [this] informally run political union”, he said. 

The Minister also commented on the prospect of Saakashvili being transferred from a civilian clinic in Tbilisi - where medical professionals recently said his health had improved - back to a penitentiary institution by saying the move would be made “as soon as medical professionals recommend it”.