MEP Jukneviciene: PM Garibashvili’s words point at political charges against Saakashvili

MEP Rasa Jukneviciene states that recent words by Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili, that more charges may be added to ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili who was arrested in Tbilisi last week, ‘is a blunt recognition that the case against Saakashvili is political.’ 

 

She says that such a precedent is ‘deplorable and incompatible with the status of an EU associated country.’ While speaking for Imedi TV last week Garibashvili commented on Saakashvili’s letter to the United National Movement (UNM) head Nika Melia, in which he celled on the opposition for unity for mayoral election runoffs on October 30. 

 

“He better behave himself, or we will add additional charges,” Garibashvili said. 

 

Saakashvili was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1, a day before Georgian municipal elections. 

 

He said he returned after eight years to save the country from the Georgian Dream leadership and encouraged voters to help the UNM win the municipal elections, which would be a step forward to early parliamentary elections. 

 

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

 

He has already been charged with four other cases which concern illegal take-over of property, embezzlement, illegal rally dispersal and illegally crossing the border.