9 years in prison in the “jacket case”: Saakashvili receives new sentence
12 March 2025 16:53
Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has been found guilty of embezzlement of budget funds on a large scale and sentenced to nine years in prison in the so-called “jacket case,” "Komersant Ukrainian" reports, citing Echo of the Caucasus.
The court found that from May 1, 2009 to February 25, 2013, on the instructions and organization of Mikheil Saakashvili, 9 million GEL (approximately $5.4 million in those years) was misappropriated from the state budget for his personal purposes.
Before announcing the verdict, the judge stated:
“The case presents hundreds of thousands of GEL in expenses for cosmetic services provided in leading clinics abroad… The case also contains documents confirming the payment for the education of the son of the then president, which cost the budget 60,000 GEL. These expenses cannot be considered expenses incurred in the interests of the country.”
Saakashvili is currently serving a six-year prison sentence. He was previously convicted in two other cases – the pardon of the murderers of Sandro Girgvliani and the beating of MP Valeri Gelashvili.
The new term of imprisonment will be calculated from the moment Mikheil Saakashvili is detained – October 1, 2021. Thus, according to the verdict, he will be released only on October 1, 2030.
In addition, trials are ongoing against him in the cases of the events of November 7, 2007 and illegal border crossing.
Mikheil Saakashvili: dossier
Political career in Georgia
Mikheil Saakashvili was born on December 21, 1967 in Tbilisi, Georgian SSR. He received a law degree from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv and studied in the United States, particularly at Columbia University.
He began his political career in 1995, when he was elected to the Georgian Parliament from the Union of Georgian Citizens party. In 2000, he became the Minister of Justice, but resigned in 2001, accusing the government of corruption.
In 2003, he became one of the leaders of the Rose Revolution, which led to the resignation of President Eduard Shevardnadze. In 2004, he was elected president of Georgia in early elections with over 96% of the vote. His presidency was marked by large-scale reforms aimed at fighting corruption, liberalizing the economy, and strengthening state institutions. At the same time, his rule was criticized for its authoritarian methods and harsh suppression of protests.
In 2008, he was re-elected for a second term, but with a much lower result (about 53% of the vote). His second term saw an armed conflict with Russia in August 2008, which led to Georgia losing control of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In 2012, his United National Movement party lost the parliamentary elections, and in 2013 Saakashvili resigned from the presidency. He soon left Georgia, and in 2014, criminal cases were initiated against him in his homeland, which led to his conviction in absentia.
Political activity in Ukraine
In 2015, he received Ukrainian citizenship and was appointed head of the Odesa Regional State Administration. In this position, he initiated anti-corruption reforms, but resigned in 2016 due to a conflict with the central government. In 2017, President Petro Poroshenko revoked his Ukrainian citizenship, which led to scandalous events, including his deportation to Poland.
In 2019, after Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to power, Saakashvili received his Ukrainian citizenship back. In 2020, he was appointed chairman of the Executive Committee for Reforms of Ukraine, but his influence on reforms remained limited.
Return to Georgia
In 2021, he returned to Georgia, where he was immediately arrested on the basis of sentences handed down in absentia. His arrest sparked massive protests and international outcry. As of 2024, his health had deteriorated significantly, and the issue of his release remains politically sensitive.
Saakashvili reacted to the verdict on social media:
“What a big surprise – the verdict of the oligarch, isn’t it? The will of the occupier was directly fulfilled, this is their response to the fact that we did not give away Georgia, that for the first time in a century we dared and formed a successful Georgian state. Since nothing was found on me, I was sentenced to almost life imprisonment for office expenses. This is how the Ivanishvili mafia clan punishes for loyalty to the country, love for the Motherland and decency.”
