Former Georgia president Mikhail Saakashvili detained.
Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili has been detained, the country’s prime minister Irakli Garibashvili said on Friday.
“I would like to inform our society that the third president of Georgia, wanted man Mikhail Saakashvili, has been detained,” Garibashvili said.
Earlier on Friday, Saakashvili said he had returned from exile to Georgia, despite a threat of arrest ahead of local elections in the Caucasus country.
The 53-year-old, who was Georgian president from 2004 to 2013, is wanted by Georgian authorities on abuse of office charges. He left Georgia in 2013 when his second and final term as president ended.
Saakashvili has denied the accusations which he says are politically motivated.
Earlier this week, Saakashvili announced his planned return from Ukraine, saying he would be flying to the Georgian capital Tbilisi on Saturday evening.
Garibashvili responded by saying if Saakashvili set foot on Georgian soil, “he will be immediately arrested and brought to prison.”
Public Defender to visit Mikheil Saakashvili in Rustavi prison
Mikheil Saakashvili has been transferred to Rustavi Penitentiary.
According to the press service of the Public Defender, Public Defender Nino Lomjaria will visit Mikheil Saakashvili today.
Chairman of the “Georgian Dream” Irakli Kobakhidze
I congratulate the Prime Minister on the successful conduct of this operation – this is the culmination of the work that Bidzina Ivanishvili started 10 years ago, – Irakli Kobakhidze, chairman of the Georgian Dream, said during the arrest of Georgia’s third president, Mikheil Saakashvili.
He thanked the law enforcement agencies at a briefing at the party office.
I am very firm, resilient, I came to help you, we had no other choice – I am not afraid of anything and you should not be afraid either -Saakashvili
“It is symbolic that this happened 9 years after Bidzina Ivanishvili congratulated the Georgian society on the victory of freedom and democracy in Georgia. This is the culmination of the work that Bidzina Ivanishvili started 10 years ago. I congratulate the Prime Minister on the successful conduct of this operation and, of course, I thank the law enforcement agencies, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the State Security Service for the successful conduct of this operation, “- said Kobakhidze.
Mikheil Saakashvili:
I am very firm, resilient, I came to help you, we had no other choice – I am not afraid of anything and you should not be afraid either
The audio address is spread on Saakashvili’s Facebook page and it was recorded before the Ministry of Internal Affairs arrested Saakashvili.
“I may be detained in Tbilisi now, but mind that we are fighting till the end, we will all gather tomorrow. A lot of people are taking to the streets and we are winning this election”, – Saakashvili told the population.
At the same time, Saakashvili says that he is firm and is not afraid of anything.
“Do not be afraid of anything. You are going to the polls tomorrow. Vote and on 3rd we will all celebrate the victory together.
I am very firm, resilient. I came here to help you. We had no other choice. I am not afraid of anything and you should not be afraid either”, – Saakashvili said.
