Georgian ex-president says he will fly home, despite jail threat, to 'save the country'
Record ID:
1638981
Georgian ex-president says he will fly home, despite jail threat, to 'save the country'
- Title: Georgian ex-president says he will fly home, despite jail threat, to 'save the country'
- Date: 28th September 2021
- Summary: ODESSA, UKRAINE (FILE - MAY 30, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** ***WARNING: CONTAINS PROFANITY*** UKRAINIAN THEN-PRESIDENT, PETRO POROSHENKO, AND SAAKASHVILI WERE SEATED AT THE PODIUM, STANDING UP DURING THE CEREMONY FOR SAAKASHVILI'S APPOINTMENT AS ODESSA GOVERNOR SHEHYNI, UKRAINE (FILE - SEPTEMBER 10, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SAAKASHVILI MARCHING IN CROWD OF CHEERING SUPPORTERS AFTER HE BROKE THROUGH THE UKRAINE-POLAND BORDER SAAKASHVILI MARCHING AND SINGING UKRAINE NATIONAL ANTHEM, SURROUNDED BY A CROWD OF SUPPORTERS KYIV, UKRAINE (FILE - DECEMBER 5, 2017) (REUTERS) POLICE LEADING DETAINED SAAKASHVILI OUT OF BUILDING, PLACING HIM INTO VAN, AS HE SHOUTS (Russian): "PEOPLE, RESIST!" MAN JUMPING ON TOP OF VAN INTO WHICH SAAKASHVILI WAS PUT / PROTESTERS CHEERING SAAKASHVILI WALKING THROUGH CROWD OF HIS SUPPORTERS AFTER BEING RELEASED BY THEM / SUPPORTERS CHANTING (Ukrainian): "UKRAINE" SUPPORTERS CHANTING (Ukrainian): "MISHA (MIKHEIL)" SAAKASHVILI IN CROWD OF CHEERING SUPPORTERS, SHOWING VICTORY SIGN SAAKASHVILI WALKING WITH HIS SUPPORTERS HOLDING UKRAINIAN FLAG (PROFANITY) CROWD OF PROTESTERS SHOUTING / SAAKASHVILI ON STAGE SPEAKING SAAKASHVILI SPEAKING
- Embargoed: 12th October 2021 10:46
- Keywords: Georgian elections Georgian political cirisis Saakashvili Tbilisi
- Location: INTERNET/ ODESSA, SHEHYNI AND KIYV, UKRAINE
- City: INTERNET/ ODESSA, SHEHYNI AND KIYV, UKRAINE
- Country: Various
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002EWMWPQF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: EDIT CONTAINS PROFANE LANGUAGE (LINE 14)
Mikheil Saakashvili, the former president of Georgia, late on Monday (September 27) announced plans to fly home on the day local elections are held this week in order to help "save the country" and called for post-election street protests.
Saakashvili, who is based in Ukraine, said he planned to fly back on Saturday, despite facing imprisonment on charges he says are politically motivated.
"...The fate of Georgia is being decided, Georgia's survival is at stake and that's why I took a ticket on the evening of Oct. 2 so I can be with you and protect your (political) will with you, so I can take part in saving Georgia," said Saakashvili.
Tensions between the ruling Georgian Dream party and the opposition, which Saakashvili supports, have been severely strained since a parliamentary election last year which the opposition alleged was rigged. International observers said at the time that the election had been competitive and that fundamental freedoms had generally been respected.
A Georgian court in June 2018 sentenced Saakashvili in absentia to six years in prison for abuse of power and seeking to cover up evidence about the beating of an opposition member of parliament when he was president.
Irakli Garibashvili, the prime minister, said the police would arrest Saakashvili if he came back.
"As soon as Saakashvili steps on our soil he will be arrested and sent to prison," the Interfax news agency cited the prime minister as telling reporters.
In a video address posted on his Facebook page, Saakashvili, who helped found the United National Movement (UNM) opposition party, called for post-election protests.
"We must all vote and show our position, and only when the polls close, we should go out onto the streets of our cities and villages, and protect our votes and our victory," the 53-year-old said against the backdrop of a red and white Georgian flag.
Before it annulled a political deal with the opposition brokered by the European Union, Georgian Dream agreed to call early parliamentary elections if it failed to secure at least 43% in the local elections.
(Production: David Chkhikvishvili, Elena Ostrovskaya) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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