Georgian Parliament Speaker: Saakashvili's illegal return involved Ukraine, preceded by EU meetings

In the wake of the recent sentencing of the imprisoned former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, the Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has drawn attention to Saakashvili's activities prior to his return to Georgia.

Papuashvili’s comments came after the Tbilisi City Court on Monday sentenced the imprisoned former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to 4 years and 6 months in prison for illegally crossing the state border.

In his social media message, Papuashvili claimed that Saakashvili’s return had been orchestrated and executed by Ukraine’s military intelligence, raising concerns over foreign involvement in Georgia’s internal affairs.

“In the context of Saakashvili’s verdict, we must not forget that:

Saakashvili’s [illegal] entry into Georgia was planned and carried out by Ukraine’s military intelligence.

Just days before his secret arrival in Georgia, Saakashvili was in Brussels meeting with representatives of the European Commission and the European Parliament. This happened despite the fact that he had already been sentenced to six years in prison for his role in the murder of Sandro Girgvliani and the beating of Valeri Gelashvili”, the Parliament Speaker said.

Papuashvili's comments suggest that Saakashvili's meetings in Brussels took place while he was a fugitive, having already been convicted in Georgia. These statements bring into question the nature of the meetings between Saakashvili and the EU representatives.