On February 6, the judge of the Tbilisi City Court, Giorgi Arevadze, ruled not to release former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili from custody due to his deteriorating health. He also didn’t defer the sentence of the third president.
“Nothing can break me! Now is the time to get angry and fight! It is time to unite all forces! We will not have Georgia handed over to Russia!- wrote Saakashvili on his Facebook– page after the court decision was made.
Speaking at an urgent press briefing following the court’s decision, newly elected UNM Chairman Levan Khabeishvili said that the party was suspending its parliamentary work and would function in an “emergency mode.” Later that day , the UNM leaders and supporters held a brief rally in front of PM Irakli Garibashvili’s house in Vake.
“This is a court decision, I cannot say more; whether it is right or not, it is up to the court to decide,” MP Mamuka Mdinaradze, chairman of the Georgian Dream parliamentary faction, noted. He added that it would be better to ask Saakashvili to eat instead of spending so much money on lobbyists.
“If someone is really interested in the state of Saakashvili’s health, they should ask him to eat some food, calorie-rich food,” he said, adding that “if someone wants to take risks to cheat the state and protect themselves from justice, this trick will not work.”
On December 1, 2022, Saakashvili’s defense lawyers petitioned the Tbilisi City Court to either release Saakashvili or postpone his sentence based on Empathy’s conclusion. The court began deliberations in late December, which lasted for two months. Several hearings were held, during which local and foreign experts were questioned.
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