American lawyer to protect Saakashvili’s interests

American lawyer John Sandvig will get involved in the case of arrested former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, who has been on hunger strike since his arrest in Tbilisi on October 1. 

 

Sandvig served as Director of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency between 2013 and 2014.

 

Saakashvili’s Ukrainian lawyer stated yesterday that he was denied entry to Georgia. 

 

The Georgian Interior Ministry has not commented on the issue so far. 

 

Saakashvili, who returned to Georgia after eight years in political exile, was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1, one day before Georgia’s municipal elections. 

 

He claims he returned to help his United National Movement opposition party to regain office. 

 

Saakashvili was convicted in absentia in Georgia back in 2018 for abuse of authority and was sentenced to six years in prison. 

 

He has also been charged with four other offences which are still in courts. Saakashvili claims he is a ‘political prisoner.’

 

Saakashvili is a citizen of Ukraine and currently chairs the Executive Committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council.