Mikheil Saakashvili's Legal Troubles: A 12.5-Year Sentence for Crossing Borders
Ex-president of Georgia receives additional jail term
Mikheil Saakashvili, the ex-President of Georgia, has been slapped with an additional 4.5 years in prison for his not-so-subtle border crossing shenanigans in 2021. With this latest sentence, old big Mikheil is looking at a whopping 12.5 years and six months behind bars.
This latest conviction, rather dramatically staged by Tbilisi City Court, adds to his already heaping pile of legal troubles. Fun fact: it's four allegations strong against him now, including (deep breath) illegally crossing into Georgia, embezzlement, violence against opposition protesters, and a war with Russia in 2008, where Russia recognized the breakaway regions as independent states.
Last week, the 57-year-old former president got hitched with a nine-year prison sentence for that embezzlement case. Needless to say, Saakashvili, along with others like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, claim that these trials are nothing more than a politically-charged snafu.
Enough is Enough?
The onslaught of legal proceedings against Saakashvili isn't showing any signs of slowing down. A Georgian media report claims there's still an ongoing case against him for the 2007 opposition protest violence, where he could potentially face another 5 to 8 years. And the ruling Georgian Dream party? They're still pining for Saakashvili to be held accountable for the 2008 South Ossetia war.
Politics and Power Struggles
Serving as the President of the Black Sea country from 2004 to 2013, Saakashvili made a name for himself by pushing pro-Western reforms. However, he eventually transformed into quite the authoritarian figure. Post his defeat, he bolted the country and managed to score a political career in Ukraine, where he now holds citizenship. Protests have erupted in Georgia over the perceived political targeting of Saakashvili, with some whispers suggesting a hidden hand from ol' mother Russia in all of this.
Sources: ntv.de, as/dpa
- Georgia
- Russia
- Trials
- Politics
- Mikheil Saakashvili
- The Commission is also proposing to extend the scope of the programme to include the charges against Mikheil Saakashvili, such as the illegally crossing of borders and the dispersal of protests, which have been ongoing for months under investigation.
- Despite the political and power struggles between Georgia and Russia, it's worth noting that Mikheil Saakashvili, during his Presidency from 2004 to 2013, implemented a series of reforms aimed at Western alignment. Now, he remains a polarizing figure amidst ongoing trials and allegations.
- As the Georgian Dream party seeks accountability from Saakashvili for the 2008 South Ossetia war, as well as the opposition protest violence in 2007, it's important to remember that Saakashvili, after serving as the President of Georgia, entered into Ukrainian politics, facing multiple legal troubles and public protests back in his home country.
