UNM to end boycott if parliament creates investigative commission on Saakashvili’s case

The United National Movement (UNM) opposition MPs will enter the state legislature if opposition parties in parliament stand together to create a temporary investigative commission which will look into alleged violations of the rights of imprisoned former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili. 

UNM member Khatia Dekanoidze says that consultations are underway with parliamentary opposition.

Saakashvili claims that he is a victim of inhuman and degrading treatment in Georgia and has demanded the creation of the parliamentary investigative commission to ‘find out and respond to the violations.’ 

His lawyers say that the commission should also hold the state officials responsible ‘who have violated’ Saakashvili’s rights. 

The creation of an investigative commission in parliament needs the support of 50 MPs at least, while the opposition has 66 seats in the 150-member parliament. 

Saakashvili was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1 after eight years in political exile. 

He claims he returned to help the opposition to remove the Georgian Dream government from power. 

Saakashvili, who holds Ukrainian citizenship, is now serving a sentence for abuse of power, as he was convicted in absentia back in 2018.