Georgian former president Mikheil Saakashvili, who was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1, says that he is ‘deeply touched’ by the support of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has vowed to take all steps to ensure Saakashvili’s return back to Ukraine. 

Saakashvili, who returned to Georgia ahead of the October 2 municipal elections to help his United National Movement (UNM) opposition party to change the current Georgina Dream leadership, is a citizen of Ukraine and was appointed as a head of the Executive Committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council under Zelensky’s presidency back in 2020.

“I am deeply touched by your statement which is a response of the first-rate political leader to my illegal detention and imprisonment in Georgia based on the falsified charges that no one recognizes in the world, except Russia,” Saakashvili says in a letter to Zelensky.

He stated that ‘Georgia is the love of my life, but I adore Ukraine as well - my second homeland.’ 

Saakashvili claims that he will be always proud of having the opportunity to ‘modestly contribute to the current historical changes and reforms in Ukraine’ with Zelensky’s leadership. 

“Since, in fact, I am a personal prisoner of Putin, I highly appreciate your fundamental stance to protect Ukraine, the entire region, and all prisoners of the empire,” he said. 

Saakashvili left Georgia back in 2013 and has not returned until now. 

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