The proposal of Georgian President Mikhail Kavelashvili of the pardon of opposition leaders in exchange for their participation in local elections does not apply to the former head of the state of Mikhail Saakashvili. This was stated by the chairman of the Georgian Parliament Shalva Papuashvili, local media reports.
According to the speaker, the main reason for this exception is the Ukrainian citizenship of the ex -president. Papuashvili explained that taking into account this, Saakashvili’s participation in the elections is illegally and even the statements of the ex-president on political topics are considered “foreign intervention.”
“No, of course, this proposal does not apply to Ukrainian citizens. The proposal concerns several politicians who deliberately violated the Constitution of Georgia, legislation,” the words of Papuashvili are given.
Mikhail Saakashvili left Georgia in 2013, after the expiration of his presidential powers. Following this in his homeland, four criminal cases were instituted against him. For two of them, the ex-president was sentenced in absentia to three and six years in prison. On March 12, 2025, the court found Saakashvili guilty of a waste of state funds in the amount of more than 3.2 million dollars and issued a decision on deprivation of his freedom for a period of 9 years. Currently, the cases related to the overclocking of the opposition rally on November 7, 2007 and the defeat of the Office of the Georgian television company Imedi are considered against Saakashvili. In May 2022, due to a deterioration in the state of health after a long hunger strike, the politician was transported from prison to a private clinic in Tbilisi, where he is still.