Georgia: "We demand that Misha be here" - Saakashvili's attorney after trial in absence

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The Tbilisi City Court held the first hearing on the former Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili’s case in the absence of politician in court.

The Georgian prison service had earlier refused to transfer Saakashvili from prison to the courthouse. The hearing took place in his absence.

In one of the criminal cases, the court overturned Saakashvili’s arrest. The arrest in the 2007 rally dispersal case was thus annulled. The judge said there was no need for this preventive measure, as the ex-president was already in custody on the basis of a verdict in other cases.

His attorney Beka Basilaia and former mayor of Tbilisi Gigi Ugulava commented on the hearing.

“The trial will continue but their plan is that Misha [Mikhail Saakashvili] cannot address people, address the society, address the court here,” said Basilaia.

Saakashvili’s ally, former Tbilisi mayor Gigi Ugulava, who attended the court hearing of the politician’s case, was outraged with the organisation of the court hearing.

“Mikhail Saakashvili was not brought to his own court, this never happened in Georgia, this never happened even in the Soviet times, because every citizen has access to their own court,” he stressed.

Ugulava was “kicked out of the process” after his protest against the Saakashvili’s absence in the court.

In addition, a protest rally was held outside the court building in Saakashvili’s support.

Earlier on Wednesday, rallies in support of the former president were held at various government buildings across Tbilisi including outside the State Security Service of Georgia, as well as at the Ministry of Justice and Health Ministry.

According to the Georgian Interior Ministry, 46 people were arrested in the capital.

Saakashvili was arrested on October 1 after he returned to his homeland ahead of the municipal elections in Georgia.

The former president was charged with abuse of power and sentenced to a combined nine years in jail in absentia in 2013 when he fled the country.

Saakashvili has been on a hunger strike for over a month, since he was arrested. This week the Georgian authorities announced he has been transferred to a prison hospital.

SOT, Gigi Ugulava, Former mayor of Tbilisi (Georgian): “What we see, what we are witnessing is in the literal sense of the word - this is a ‘troika,’ this is a Soviet court in which there is absolutely nothing, except that they just directly take the direct from the prosecution. Mikhail Saakashvili was not brought to his own court, this never happened in Georgia, this never happened even in the Soviet times, because every citizen has access to their own court.”

SOT, Gigi Ugulava, Former mayor of Tbilisi (Georgian): “The court said it did not matter, wasn’t brought - wasn’t brought [Mikhail Saakashvili], we still continued the trial. There was a protest from my side and then I was kicked out of the process. It’s absolutely not a trial, it’s… I can’t even say a word… It’s worse than the Caucasus Trial.”

SOT, Beka Basilaia, Lawyer of Saakashvili (Georgian): “The trial will continue but their plan is that Misha [Mikhail Saakashvili] cannot address people, address the society, address the court here.”

Reporter: “What did you demand?” *VOICEOVER*

Beka Basilia: “We demanded that Misha [Mikhail Saakashvili] should be here, that he should have an opportunity to express whatever he thinks.”

#Georgia #Saakashvili #Tbilisi

Video ID: 20211110-034

Video on Demand: https://ruptly.tv/videos/20211110-034
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