Imprisoned former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili on Friday expressed his gratitude to Patriarch Ilia II for meeting with his former wife Sandra Roelofs and son Nikoloz despite being “very tired”. 

The former official, who claims he needs treatment abroad, said he had strengthened spiritually while in custody, following his arrest in Tbilisi in October 2021 after eight years in self-imposed political exile. 

“The main slogan of Ukrainian fighters is freedom or death, so freedom will win. Merry Christmas to everyone," Saakashvili said in his social media post. 

A trial hearing on granting the release or the postponement of the rest of his sentence is scheduled in Tbilisi city court on Monday.