Parliament Speaker criticises those who continue to advocate for release of ex-President Saakashvili, calling it disgraceful act of support for corruption

Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday strongly criticised those who continue to advocate for the release of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, calling it a disgraceful act of support for corruption.

Papuashvili's remarks came in response to a court ruling that found Saakashvili guilty in a high-profile elite corruption case.

In his remarks over the matter, Papuashvili highlighted that the development was yet another confirmation of elite corruption under Saakashvili’s rule.

He noted that the former President had spent hidden state funds on personal expenses, including $200 000 for his personal stylist and chef, and $40 000 for his child’s education at one of Georgia’s most expensive schools.

Addressing international reactions, Papuashvili criticised European politicians who continue to advocate for Saakashvili. He specifically mentioned a recent statement by Poland’s Foreign Minister, who referred to Saakashvili as a “moderniser”.

“Not long ago, Poland’s foreign minister called Saakashvili a moderniser. Even while he has been in prison, his supporters have not stopped advocating for his release”, he continued.

The Speaker emphasised the European Parliament’s support for Saakashvili, convicted in an elite corruption case, was “a major disgrace” and exposed the corruption within the European Parliament itself.

“The Georgian public should draw one conclusion from this entire story - no one has the right to lecture the Georgian people, the Georgian state, or the country’s judiciary. Those involved in the “Free Misha” campaign, including some who still speak from a so-called moral high ground, should be ashamed of demanding the release of a corrupt and violent individual”, he concluded.

Tbilisi City Court on Wednesday sentenced the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili to nine years in prison on charges of embezzling state funds.

The European Court of Human Rights last year ruled that authorities in Georgia acted properly in 2014 when bringing criminal charges for abuse of power and complicity in criminal battery against Saakashvili.

The ECHR stated that “the authorities’ honest desire was to bring the applicant to justice for his wrongdoing and that, in the absence of sufficient evidence to the contrary, the allegation of an ulterior motive is unsubstantiated”.

Saakashvili is currently serving a six-year sentence after being convicted in 2018 of ordering riot police to beat Georgian MP Valery Gelashvili in 2005, and for pardoning interior ministry staff convicted in the 2006 murder of bank employee Sandro Girgvliani.

The former President, who served from 2004 to 2013, was arrested when he returned to Georgia in October 2021 after spending seven years in self-imposed exile.