Georgian citizens united around two ‘simple demands’ – ex-pres. Margvelashvili

Giorgi Margvelashvili, the fourth president of Georgia who earlier joined the calls for the transportation of convicted third president Mikheil Saakashvili abroad for treatment, on Wednesday said the Georgian public had been united around two “simple demands”. 

He said the demands included “no one in the country to be tortured” and not to “kill” the second president [he meant Zviad Gamsakhurdia as the first] since the gaining of independence “on the orders” of Russia.. 

Margvelashvili cited “moral grounds” for the release of Saakashvili for treatment abroad. 

Saakashvili, who currently holds Ukrainian citizenship, was arrested in Tbilisi in October 2021 after eight years in self-imposed political exile. 

He is now serving his six-year-term for abuse of power while in office, while trial hearings are being held on granting his release on medical grounds or the postponement of the rest of his sentence. 

In contrast with the claims of Saakashvili’s entourage over his “utterly complicated health”, the Georgian Dream authorities say Saakashvili is engaged in “self-harm” to escape justice.