Arrested ex-president Saakashvili goes on hunger strike

Georgian ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, who was arrested in the outskirts of Tbilisi late yesterday, is on hunger strike in Rustavi 12th prison, Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria says. 

It still remains unclear how Saakashvili crossed the border of Georgia from Ukraine ahead of the October 2 municipal elections. 

Early on October 1 he posted two videos from Batumi, urging for voters to vote for the United National Movement opposition party, while shortly before the arrest he posted another video in which he said that he would be arrested in Tbilisi and encouraged voters to stand strong and take to the street after the elections. Saakashvili was convicted in absentia back in 2018 for two separate cases related to attack on oppoosition MP Valeri Gelashvili and a high-profile murder case of Sandro Girgvliani. 

He has been sentenced to six years in prison in absentia. 

Saakashvili has also been charged with other cases related to deceased tycoon Badri Patarkatsishvili, 2007 rally dispersal and embezzlement of state funds. 

The Prosecutor’s Office has announced a new charge will be filed against the ex-president for illegal crossing of the border. 

The ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the country’s Interior Ministry claimed all day yesterday  that Saakashvili’s  videos were fake while the United National Movement (UNM) party said that Saakashvili has been in the country for the last several days.   

Mikheil Saakashvili who served as the country’s third president from 2004 to 2013 pledged  earlier in September to return to Georgia ahead of elections.