A court in Georgia has handed down an additional jail sentence to ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, increasing his total imprisonment period to 12 and a half years.
Saakashvili, who was the President of Georgia from 2004 to 2013, had earlier received convictions for abuse of authority and misappropriation of funds. He along with his defense team dismissed these allegations, claiming they were driven by political motives.
Judge Badri Kochlamazashvili handed down an additional four years and six months to the former president, who is 57 years old, for offenses related to unlawful border crossing, which extends his current prison term.
Through a video conference, Saakashvili rejected the verdict calling it "a completely unlawful and unfair sentence against me for crimes I did not commit."
"They aim to erase me in jail," he stated. "Nevertheless, I will continue fighting until the very end," he pledged.
As stated by his attorney, Beka Basilaia, the ruling issued on Monday once again demonstrated that Saakashvili is a political prisoner.
Saakashvili, a controversial reformist
Saakashvili is additionally accused of suppressing protesters who alleged that his zeal had transformed into dictatorial rule.
The former president, who led the country in a more pro-Western direction, led the so-called Rose Revolution protests in 2003 that drove his predecessor out of office and enacted a series of ambitious reforms tackling official corruption.
In 2008, he presided over a short yet fierce conflict with Russia, which concluded with Georgia suffering an embarrassing defeat as they lost their last remaining military outposts in two breakaway regions.
His rule came to an end during the 2012 elections as the freshly established Georgian Dream Party triumphed over Saakashvili's United National Movement party.
In 2013, Saakashvili departed for Ukraine and obtained citizenship. He led the Odessa region in the south from 2015 to 2016.
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Nevertheless, he was quickly apprehended upon his return to Georgia in October 2021 as he tried to bolster opposition groups ahead of the upcoming local elections.
The Georgian Dream party was accused of affecting the judicial decision.
On Monday, Saakashvili's attorney alleged that the governing party, Georgian Dream, was behind the recent extension of the former Georgian president's jail sentence.
"Until Georgian Dream stays in control, the judicial system is nothing but a mockery and will issue decisions based on instructions," Basilaia stated.
Since 2012, after Saakashvili lost his position, the Georgian Dream Party has maintained control over the government and has lately encountered criticism along with widespread protests due to accusations of suppressing democratic liberties.
The party is additionally criticized for moving the nation off the course towards European Union membership and back under Russia’s sphere of influence.
Following several hunger strikes, Saakashvili is presently receiving care at the Vivamedi facility, where he is under observation for various long-term health issues, as stated by the clinic.