Ex-PM Garibashvili's rights, safety protected in prison, Tbilisi Mayor

Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze has said the safety and rights of jailed former prime minister Irakli Garibashvili are protected, suggesting that Garibashvili's recent statements may have been intended as a pre-emptive response to the new criminal charges against him.

"Both Irakli Garibashvili's safety and the safety and rights of every prisoner are protected," Kaladze said when asked about the new charges against the former prime minister.

Kaladze said Garibashvili had apparently been aware of issues under investigation and had made what he described as preventive statements in recent days.

"It is very unfortunate and unpleasant when you have to speak about a former teammate," Kaladze said, referring to Garibashvili's recent statements as "contradictory".

He suggested that former politicians sometimes use such methods to shift legal matters into the political sphere.

Garibashvili was presented with a new charge of allegedly accepting a particularly large bribe as part of a group while holding a state political position. The charge carries a potential prison sentence of 11 to 15 years.