UNM raises new demand, plans to block roads on both banks of Mtkvari today

The United National Movement (UNM) opposition party has offered the Georgian Dream (GD) government to create a working group which will ensure the transfer of former president Mikheil Saakashvili to a civil clinic. 

Saakashvili, who was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1, a day before Georgian municipal elections, has been on hunger strike since then. 

He says he will stop the hunger strike if he is brought to a civil clinic. 

The GD officials claim that the UNM and Saakashvili have plans to cause unrest if Saakashvili is taken to a private clinic from Gldani prison hospital. 

The UNM promises that they will never hold rallies at the clinic where Saakashvili will be brought. 

The party has a rally in the afternoon and has plans to block both banks of River Mtkvari if the government still declines their demand. 

Saakashvili is a citizen of Ukraine and current head of the Executive Committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council.  

He was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1 after eight years in political exile, stating that he returned to remove the Georgian Dream government from power.  

The third president was convicted in Georgia back in 2018 for abuse of power in absentia and was sentenced to six years in prison.  

Saakashvili also faces five charges related to embezzlement, illegal takeover of property and others.