Opposition leader: President Zourabichvili’s remarks on Saakashvili threaten Georgia’s European aspirations

Tina Bokuchava, Chairwoman of the United National Movement, on Tuesday criticized President Salome Zourabichvili’s recent statements regarding the conviction of former President Mikheil Saakashvili, warning that such remarks could hinder Georgia’s progress towards European integration.

During a press conference, Bokuchava stressed the importance of national unity in securing Georgia’s European future, emphasizing that the pursuit of political justice had no place in a European democracy. She argued that Zourabichvili’s comments failed to acknowledge Saakashvili’s “significant contributions” to the country.

“It is vitally important for all of us to understand that we can only secure Georgia’s European future through unity and common effort,” Bokuchava said. She further called on the public to set aside political and personal differences in favor of the greater goal of European integration.

Bokuchava also accused Bidzina Ivanishvili, the country’s “unofficial leader”, of manipulating state institutions, including the judiciary, to reportedly target political opponents. She claimed that Saakashvili, who has been in detention for nearly three years, was unjustly sentenced to a second prison term on “Ivanishvili’s orders”.

“The illegal decision by Mikheil Jinjolia, who is called a judge, is unprecedented and has no analogues, because none of the prisoners, except the political prisoner President Saakashvili, are serving double imprisonment,” Bokuchava asserted. She added that the additional sentence was imposed as a preventive measure due to Ivanishvili’s fear of Saakashvili’s potential release.

Zourabichvili, during an August 5 press conference, reaffirmed her stance on not pardoning Saakashvili, stating that her decision was final. “The answer has been given once and for all,” Zourabichvili declared, dismissing the focus on Saakashvili as a tactic used by the ruling Georgian Dream party to divert attention from more pressing national issues.

“The live broadcast of his trials is intended to send political messages, as the last hope of the GD is to scare voters with Saakashvili. Saakashvili is not relevant today – what matters is the future of Georgia. We must save Georgia first, and then Saakashvili’s fate will find its place,” Zourabichvili noted.