Georgians flood streets of capital Tbilisi to seek release of jailed ex-president and opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili who was arrested in early October upon his return from exile in Ukraine.Tens of thousands of Georgians have flooded onto the streets of the capital Tbilisi to demand the release of jailed ex-president and opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvili.
Chanting Saakashvili’s nickname “Misha!” and waving national flags on Thursday, demonstrators filled the city’s Freedom Square and the main thoroughfare, Rustaveli Avenue, with an AFP news agency correspondent estimating the crowd at around 60,000 people.
Georgia’s president from 2004 to 2013, Saakashvili was arrested and imprisoned in early October upon his return from exile in Ukraine.
The 53-year-old founder of Georgia’s main opposition force, the United National Movement (UNM), has declared a hunger strike and doctors have expressed concern over his deteriorating health.
The flamboyant pro-Western reformer was convicted in absentia on charges of abuse of office and sentenced to six years in prison in 2018. He denies wrongdoing.
‘We will not stop’
Saakashvili’s lawyer Nika Gvaramia read out an address to the crowd calling for the government-linked to his nemesis and powerful oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili to be “destroyed” at the upcoming second-round runoff of local elections.
“Georgia must return to its pro-Western path and become a beacon of democracy, reforms and development,” the letter said.
“It is time to save Georgia through our national unity and reconciliation.”
One of the demonstrators, 28-year-old lawyer Kato Topuridze said it was a “huge injustice that Saakashvili is in jail.”
“He must be freed immediately.”
Another protester, Gela Chkheidze, 53, said: “Saakashvili embodies Georgia’s success as a democracy. We will not stop until we achieve his liberation.”
On Thursday morning, kilometres-long motorcades carrying Saakashvili supporters headed to Tbilisi from across the country, the independent Pirveli TV station reported.
Busloads of riot police were deployed outside the parliament building ahead of the protest.
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