Representatives of Georgian public, politicians appeal Kyiv to investigate “crimes” committed against Saakashvili

In a joint effort, representatives of the public and politicians from Georgia have issued an appeal to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Verkhovna Rada, and the Public Defender of Ukraine, urging them to address the case of Mikheil Saakashvili, the currently imprisoned third president of Georgia holding Ukrainian citizenship, to “identify and address” all individuals implicated in what the signatories describe as a crime committed against the former official. 

Signatories of the letter include a diverse group comprising non-governmental organizations, political leaders, public figures, experts, and students. They express the conviction that Saakashvili, who was arrested on his clandestine return from Ukraine in 2021 and is serving his six-year-term for abuse of power while in office, is a “victim of inhumane treatment and torture”, allegedly orchestrated by the Georgian government under the leadership of “Russian oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili” – in reference to the founder of the current Georgian Dream ruling power. 

The letter also underscored the significance of the upcoming 2024 elections “for Georgia’s European future” and contended that Saakashvili, perceived as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “personal prisoner”, is a “pivotal figure in the common European political spectrum”.

The signatories argued that Saakashvili’s freedom was crucial in countering the perceived “informal rule” of  Ivanishvili, who returned to Georgian politics for the third time since 2012 at the end of last year. Concluding with a strong assertion that Saakashvili is a “political prisoner” who should be “unconditionally released”, the letter implored the Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine to initiate a thorough investigation into the alleged crimes against him.

Saakashvili has been incarcerated since October 1, 2021, following a court sentence in 2018 related to the assault on opposition MP Valery Gelashvili and the pardoning of individuals convicted in the Sandro Girgvliani high-profile murder case under his rule. 

Saakashvili faces charges in three additional cases. Due to health concerns, he was transferred to Tbilisi Vivamedi civilian clinic in May 2022, where he remains, maintaining that all charges against him are “politically motivated”. 

None of the international institutions, including the European Court of Human Rights, confirmed Saakashvili’s claims on alleged ill-treatment in Georgia. Moreover,  the ECHR last year rejected his motion on the transfer abroad on health grounds. 

The GD authorities claim the former president had been engaged in “self-harm” for months to facilitate his “illegal release”.