Jailed ex-President Saakashvili likens himself to Cervantes and Nelson Mandela

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who is currently serving a prison sentence, on Thursday compared his situation to that of Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes and former South African President Nelson Mandela.

In a social media message, Saakashvili said he had previously taken comfort in the fact that his “favourite writer, Cervantes” and his “closest friend and political ally, John McCain” had each spent five years in captivity.

“Until now, I comforted myself with the thought that my favourite writer Cervantes and my closest friend and political ally John McCain were imprisoned for five years. Now I have to move into the category of the Count of Monte Cristo and Nelson Mandela. Despite everything, however, I am more optimistic than ever, because 80 percent of the people have come to understand what is happening”, Saakashvili wrote