Ex-Pres Saakashvili criticises Transparency International Georgia over ‘political prisoners list’

Georgia's jailed former president Mikheil Saakashvili has criticised Transparency International Georgia for not including him on its list of “political prisoners’, accusing the watchdog of double standards and contributing to the country's democratic decline.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Saakashvili said it was "shameful" that the organisation had omitted him from the list during the fifth year of his imprisonment.

He argued that Transparency International Georgia had failed to acknowledge what he called politically motivated prosecutions against him and accused the organisation of bearing responsibility for the deterioration of democracy in Georgia.

Saakashvili also criticised the watchdog for its past assessments of judicial reforms and elections under the ruling Georgian Dream party, saying it had remained silent on alleged political persecution and electoral irregularities.

Referring to international organisations, Saakashvili said the Council of Europe, the European Parliament and Amnesty International had recognised him as a political prisoner or politically persecuted figure, questioning why Transparency International Georgia had not done the same.

In a postscript to his statement, Saakashvili rejected the organisation's explanation that its list included only people detained over public statements or participation in protests. He argued that he is also facing prosecution over political speech and calls to participate in demonstrations, and accused the organisation of deliberately ignoring that fact.