Opposition leader Gvaramia: there is ‘no justification’ for excluding ex-Pres Saakashvili from political prisoners list

One of the leaders of the Coalition for Change, Nika Gvaramia, has said there is “no justification” for excluding former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili from the list of political prisoners.

In a post on social media, Gvaramia expressed respect for Transparency International Georgia and praised the organisation for its work in defending Georgia’s interests and assisting citizens. However, he said Saakashvili’s omission from the list was “a serious mistake”.

“There is no justification, nor can there be one, for excluding Saakashvili from the list of political prisoners. I believe it is a serious mistake and hope it will be corrected,” Gvaramia wrote.

Saakashvili also commented on the issue, stating that it was “completely shameful” that Transparency International Georgia had not included him on its list of political prisoners during the fifth year of his imprisonment.