UNM’s Bokuchava denies opposition prepared political prisoners list without ex-Pres Saakashvili

Tina Bokuchava, chair of the United National Movement, has dismissed as misinformation claims that the Opposition Alliance prepared a list of alleged political prisoners that excluded former President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Writing on social media on Monday, Bokuchava explained that the list was compiled by private individuals and activists, and in its current version, Saakashvili’s name was included.

She claimed that Saakashvili’s status as a political prisoner was recognized internationally and has been repeatedly highlighted in European Parliament resolutions, as well as in statements from the world’s top political forums.

“The civilized world understands the context of why Georgia’s third president is effectively Vladimir Putin’s personal prisoner. To question this is to ignore reason and good faith,” Bokuchava wrote.

She added that recent rumors about the list aim to discredit the alliance, sow distrust among UNM supporters, or serve other manipulative purposes that, intentionally or not, benefited the “Russian-backed regime of Bidzina Ivanishvili,” which “fears the unity of democratic political forces”.