Saakashvili says his new prison term is a message to Zelensky
17 March 15:45
The Georgian-Ukrainian politician and former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili was sentenced to another 4 years in prison – this time in a case of illegal border crossing. This is reported by "Komersant Ukrainian" with reference to Echo of the Caucasus.
Saakashvili, who was wanted in Georgia, secretly arrived in Georgia on September 29, 2021, and was arrested on October 1. A criminal case was opened against him under Article 344 of the Criminal Code of Georgia (illegal crossing of the state border). It is believed that he returned from Ukraine to Georgia in a trailer loaded with dairy products, which arrived by ship from the Ukrainian port of Chornomorsk to the port of Poti. For this, the court sentenced him to four years and six months in prison.
At the same time, the day before, Saakashvili was sentenced to 9 years in prison in a case of misuse of budget funds, known in Georgia as the “Jacket Case.”
In Georgia, sentences are summed up, so Saakashvili received a total of 12.5 years in prison. Taking into account the period of pre-trial detention, Saakashvili should be in prison until April 1, 2034.
The politician believes that this is a death sentence, as he will not be able to survive such a period in prison due to his health condition. He also believes that with this sentence, Russia and pro-Russian forces are sending a message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“This decision is not just revenge on me. It is a threat to Zelensky. They want to show him what awaits him if he does not surrender Ukraine. I am being punished for not surrendering the country in 2008, for returning Adjara to Georgian jurisdiction in 2004, for defeating corruption, for fighting for the people, not for my own pocket,”
– saakashvili said during a video link in court at a hearing on another criminal case.
The court is currently considering another case against Saakashvili related to the events of November 7, 2007. Back then, the police brutally dispersed an opposition rally against then-President Saakashvili.
And even this case may not be the last against Saakashvili in Georgia – the ruling Georgian Dream party has set up an investigative commission in parliament to investigate crimes committed during the rule of Saakashvili’s United National Movement.
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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 also 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 2025, his health has deteriorated significantly, and the issue of his release remains politically sensitive.
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