Dozens of demonstrators have gathered in western Kutaisi city and Samtredia in a counter rally to meet the motorcade of the people who are travelling to Tbilisi to join the United National Movement (UNM) opposition rally today, where they will demand the release of ex-president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili. 

People on the counter rally say that Saakashvili, who was detained in Tbilisi on October 1 after eight years in political exile, must not be released and must serve his prison term. 

They are holding brooms, “as a symbol of the UNM,’ reminding the UNM supporters that Saakashvili and his party had been engage with torture and intimidation of people while in power for nine years. 

The longest motorcade is moving from western Samegrelo region. 

Saakashvili claims he returned to Georgia to save the country from the ‘regime of the Georgian Dream government.’ 

He has been on hunger strike since his arrest on October 1, just ahead of the October 2 municipal elections in Georgia. 

The ex-president was convicted in absentia back in 2018 for abuse of authority and was sentenced to six years in prison. 

He has also been charged with several other offences which are still in courts.