18:47 01.03.2022

Ex-Georgian President Saakashvili demands Georgian authorities send him to Kyiv

2 min read
Ex-Georgian President Saakashvili demands Georgian authorities send him to Kyiv

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said in court on Tuesday that he is a Ukrainian citizen, and the Georgian authorities must permit him to travel to Kyiv.

"I am the chairman of Ukraine's Committee for National Reforms. My office is next to the office of the President [of Ukraine Volodymyr] Zelensky. They're expecting me there, and I must be there together with my government today," Saakashvili said.

"Be courageous and listen to the presidents of the European countries telling you that you should send Saakashvili to Ukraine. It is better for the matter, it is better for the future reputation of Georgia. I'm not asking you to send me to a resort, I demand you send me to the place I possibly may not be able to return from," he said.

Saakashvili collapsed twice during the court hearing on Tuesday. He went on a hunger strike ten days ago to protest against what he described as denial of proper medical care.

Saakashvili arrived in Georgia on September 29, 2021, and was detained in Tbilisi on October 1 and put in jail in the city of Rustavi soon afterwards, where he declared a hunger strike. On November 8, he was transferred to the prison infirmary in Tbilisi. On November 20, Saakashvili was transferred to a military hospital in Gori, where he ended his hunger strike. Several criminal cases have been opened against Saakashvili in Georgia. He has described his detention as unlawful and the charges brought against him as falsified.

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