Imprisoned former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, who is now receiving treatment in a Tbilisi civilian clinic, called on Georgians Thursday to stop internal confrontations and instead “direct their anger” at “occupiers,” referring to the Russian citizens who arrived in Georgia following the  Russia’s war in Ukraine. 

In a post on social media, Saakashvili, who currently holds Ukrainian citizenship, suggested that those Russians, who had left their country after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, thought they were “innocent,” noting that Russians perceived Georgians as their “service personnel, undeveloped population.” 

“What should we do? The main thing is to stop the cold war inside the country and direct anger not at each other, but at the conqueror. Let us constantly remind the [Russian] visitors that they are individually responsible for the occupation of Georgian territories. And. most importantly, do not be afraid to speak your mind. This is the way to  survive,” Saakashvili said. 

He stated that assuring Georgians that nothing was dependent on individual citizens and that  their standing on the street would change nothing, and that Europe was against Georgian traditions and the religion, was part of Russia’s hybrid war. 

Saakashvili was arrested in Tbilisi in October 2021, after eight years in political exile.