UNM member: more than 180 on hunger strike, demanding release of Saakashvili

A member of the United National Movement party Koba Nakopia says that more than 180 individuals ‘’have been registered’ for hunger strike to demand the release of arrested former president Mikheil Saakashvili, including the UNM head Nika Melia, the party members and activists. 

Melia announced the launch of a ‘large-scale’ hunger strike yesterday to force the Georgian Dream government to release Saakashvili. 

The individuals are on hunger strike at the UNM office in the outskirts of Tbilisi. 

The ruling Georgian Dream party MP Archil Talakvadze says that Saakashvili ‘forced people’ to go on hunger strike because of him. 

He notes that there is an internal confrontation in the UNM between Melia and Saakashvili. 

Georgian Public Advocate Nino Lomjaria says that she ‘does not welcome’ the form of protest as ‘’it is better for political issues to be resolved in parliament.’