Georgia’s ex-President Saakashvili calls trial involving him part of ‘Russian hybrid war’

The trial of Georgia’s third President, Mikheil Saakashvili, continued today at Tbilisi City Court, with the former leader alleging that the case against him was part of a wider Russian hybrid warfare campaign.

Saakashvili, who is attending the proceedings remotely, claimed the charges were politically motivated and directly linked to his advisory role with the Ukrainian government.

“Today, a case is being heard that is part of the Russian hybrid war that removed the patriotic government from power in Georgia in 2012 and brought in a direct Russian agent,” Saakashvili said during the hearing.

He argued that since 2012, when the Georgian Dream coalition defeated his United National Movement in general elections, Georgia had been regressing and accused his political opponents of attempting to rewrite history.

“A hybrid war aims to erase achievements, degrade national morale, and convince people that their efforts were meaningless,” he claimed. Saakashvili further referenced past accusations against Georgia’s first President, Zviad Gamsakhurdia, to draw parallels between past and present political narratives.

The case, known publicly as the Jackets Case, involves allegations of embezzlement of state funds. Alongside Saakashvili, former high-ranking official Teimuraz Janashia is also on trial.

The Prosecutor’s Office accused the two of misappropriating approximately nine million GEL ($3.3 million) from the state budget between 2009 and 2013. According to prosecutors, these funds were used for personal services both within Georgia and abroad, bypassing official procedures.

Saakashvili and his supporters have consistently denied the allegations, framing the charges as politically motivated persecution by the current Georgian government.

Saakashvili was arrested on his clandestine return to Georgia from Ukraine back in 2021, ahead of the country’s municipal elections, and has been since serving his six-year term for abuse of power while in office in two separate cases, while several other cases involving him are still pending.