UNM rallies at government office

The United National Movement opposition party and its supporters are now rallying in front of the administration building of the government of Georgia in Tbilisi, following the court’s denial on Monday to grant imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s release on health grounds. 

Levan Khabeishvili, the newly elected UNM chair,  claimed the party would create “maximum discomfort” to the members of the government and trigger “public turmoil” to facilitate the release of the former official. 

Saakashvili and his legal team have plans to appeal the verdict, pointing to “urgent need” of the third president’s transportation abroad for “proper treatment”. 

The government representatives, however, claim the former official, who currently holds Ukrainian citizenship, is engaged in “self-harm to escape justice”. 

They said the UNM efforts had been targeted against the country’s European Union integration, ahead of the bloc’s upcoming decision to grant the country its membership candidate status. 

The ruling party representatives also slammed the UNM’s recent announcement to boycott parliamentary work and urged its MPs to also request the cancellation of their mandates. 

Saakashvili was arrested in Tbilisi in October 2021 after eight years in political exile, shortly after on his clandestine return to the country ahead of municipal elections. 

He is now serving his six-year-sentence for abuse of power while in office.