Archbishop signs petition, demanding release of ex-president Saakashvili

Archbishop Melkisedek has signed a petition which demands the release of Georgian ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, who was detained in Tbilisi on October 1 and is now on hunger strike in Rustavi prison No.12. 

 

The petition went viral three days ago and it calls against ‘biased judiciary in Georgia.’ 

 

The signatories, which include famous writers, actors and other individuals, say that a personal attitude to Saakashvili is not important. 

 

They believe that the court system is unfair in Georgia and that the running of the country from the backstage by the founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, must end. 

 

Saakashvili left Georgia in 2013, shortly after the Georgian Dream coalition defeated his United National Movement in the 2012 parliamentary race.

 

He claims he returned after eight years to mobilize his supporters and ‘save the country from the regime of the Georgian Dream’. 

 

Saakashvili was convicted for abuse of authority back in 2018 in absentia and was  sentenced to six years in prison. He has also been charged with four other cases, which are ongoing.

 

Currently he is in the Rustavi prison No.12 and encourages voters to support the opposition United National Movement in municipal election runoffs of October 30. 

 

Both he and the UNM call on voters to take to the streets on October 14.