Georgians fighting in Ukraine call on president pardon Saakashvili

The Georgian volunteers fighting against Russia in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war on Thursday called on Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili to issue her pardon on the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili to prevent “fatal consequences” for the country. 

“We Georgians, veterans of Abkhazia and 2008 wars, fighting against Georgia’s historical enemy in Ukraine, appeal to you – put aside political sympathies and antipathies, use your constitutional right to allow Saakashvili receive treatment abroad and thus save human life”, said the letter submitted to the president’s office. 

The volunteers stressed Zourabichvili had the “chance and an opportunity, in this historical era, to save the life of the commander-in-chief of the 2008 war”, who had defended the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, noting that Saakashvili’s current condition had made only Russia happy. 

“You have the opportunity to save Georgia and its citizens from the historical shame and deepening confrontation and polarization inside the country, which certainly cannot and will not be the way to a free world”, said the letter. 

Zourabichvili said earlier she could not pardon Saakashvili, who currently holds Ukrainian citizenship, because several cases against him were still pending.