Saakashvili won’t attend trial hearing in own case today

Imprisoned former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili will not attend a trial hearing today which concerns illegal dispersal of the opposition rally, illegal raid in Imedi TV and illegal seizure of property of late businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili back in 2007 when Saakashvili was in office. 

His lawyers say that the third president will not attend the hearing due to poor health. 

Saakashvili, who was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1 after eight years in political exile, was transferred to Gori military hospital on November 19 after his 50-day hunger strike. 

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

Saakashvili, who is now a citizen of Ukraine, has also been charged with five other offenses which he says are ‘politically grounded.’