Mikheil Saakashvili, the currently imprisoned former President of Georgia, on Monday claimed Russia was “actively preparing” to influence the October general elections in Georgia by allegedly orchestrating a coup within the Georgian Church and attempting to gain a “final ideological control” on it. 

Saakashvili, who currently holds Ukrainian citizenship and is serving his six-year-term for abuse of power while in office, also warned of potential provocations being organized by Russia in Georgia for the race. 

He also referenced the events of March 8 last year and praised the protests against what he termed the Russian law - a foreign transparency bill proposed by the ruling Georgian Dream party, which aimed to label domestic organizations as foreign agents if they obtained more than 20 percent of their incomes from foreign sources. 

Saakashvili commended the efforts of the protesters, stating their actions were “pivotal” in “forcing” the authorities to reject the bill. 

The Georgian Dream officials accuse Saakashvili of taking actions to spark unrest in Georgia through his clandestine return from Ukraine ahead of the municipal elections in 2021. They claim the former official aimed at retaking the office and then “dragging” the country into the Russia-Ukraine war.