Lock Him Up: Saakashvili's New Sentence for Skipping Border Checks
Georgian Ex-President, Saakashvili, receives new sentencing
Hit the Share Button! 🔄 🔥 Retweet! 🐦 💬 Whatsapp! 📱 Email this! ✉️ Print this! 🖨️ Copy Link! 🔗 Georgia's ex-president Mikhail Saakashvili has received another prison sentence, this time for sneaking across the border without proper documentation. His current prison term now stands at a whopping 12 and a half years. The Tbilisi City Court declared Saakashvili guilty of unlawfully crossing the border in 2021.
Saakashvili's been in hot water since his courtroom trial last week, where he was acusced of embezzlement. projected for years. Saakashvili doesn't hesitate to vocalize his displeasure, alleging the trials are nothing more than political tactics. Given his history, it's no surprise that his supporters and even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy share his skepticism. If you don't remember, Saakashvili's led a brief war with Russia in 2008 that ended in a loss for Georgia.
It doesn't end there, though. More convictions are on the horizon for Saakashvili, including one for violent suppression of protests back in 2007 and potential accountability for the South Ossetia war in 2008. The ruling Georgian Dream party isn't wasting any time, either; they've got their sights set on Saakashvili's actions during the South Ossetia war and the loss of control over breakaway regions South Ossetia and Abkhazia, which Russia later recognized as independent states.
Saakashvili headed Georgia from 2004 to 2013, championing pro-Western reforms but eventually gaining a reputation for authoritarianism. After his defeat, he hopped over to Ukraine, where he still maintains citizenship.
Sources: ntv.de, dpa
Did you know Saakashvili's supporters see this trial as part of a larger political power play by the current administration? It's no secret that Saakashvili's been a thorn in their side, and this trial could be a means to exert control and settle past grievances.
The sentencing has far-reaching impact, affecting domestic politics, international relations, and the future of opposition in Georgia.
With four convictions now under his belt, it seems Saakashvili's on a never-ending legal rollercoaster ride.
This time, former President Saakashvili was illegally convicted for crossing the border, with a brief sentence added to his existing term. Saakashvili, via Whatsapp or other means, continues to express dissatisfaction over the politically-driven trials he faces. Despite the convictions, Saakashvili's supporters view this as a part of a larger power play by the current administration.
