“Because Saakashvili is called a political prisoner” - Georgian ruling party against PACE resolution

Historic PACE resolution

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution “Further escalation of the aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine” on October 13, thus declaring the Russian regime terrorist and becoming the first international organization to adopt such an act. The Georgian government claim that while they share the general spirit of the PACE resolution, the ruling party does not not support the document, not agreeing that former president Mikheil Saakashvili is a political prisoner.

“The Assembly calls for the review and release of political prisoners opposed to Putin in the Russian Federation and other countries, including Mikheil Saakashvili, a Ukrainian citizen and former president of Georgia,” one of the amendments to the document says.

Historic PACE resolution

Georgia has five permanent representatives in PACE. Three of them are from the Georgian Dream party (Irakli Chikovani, Irakli Kobakhidze and Tamar Taliashvili), one from the Citizens Party (Levan Ioseliani) and one from the National Movement (Khatia Dekanoidze). Only Khatia Dekanoidze took part in the voting, supporting both the resolution and its amendments.

The amendment on Mikheil Saakashvili was adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly with 56 votes. The initiators of the amendment mentioned in the main text of the resolution were 45 deputies, including Khatia Dekanoidze, Liza Yasko, Aleksey Goncharenko and Emmanuil Zingeris.

Historic PACE resolution

Georgian Dream called the mention of Saakashvili in the resolution unacceptable. “I did not support the final text of the resolution because it is this addition [about Saakashvili] that is absolutely unacceptable… support for the entire text would mean that we agree with this as well. We share the general spirit of this resolution, but the additions must be changed,” Dream deputy Givi Mikanadze explained on air of Imedi TV.

One of the leaders of the ruling party, Irakli Kobakhidze, said that the lobbyists for the amendment took advantage of the circumstances and “made some changes with 56 votes out of 600.”

“In general, this is a sad event, the PACE resolution contains one unfair amendment. The main thing is that the partners should know everything about Saakashvili’s case. They already know that prisoner Saakashvili is under the supervision of doctors and all conditions for medical care have been created for him,” Kobakhidze commented.

Opposition score

Salome Samadashvili, representing the opposition Lelo party, called the Georgian Dream decision shameful.

“If Georgian Dream does not vote for a resolution in support of Ukraine in the Council of Europe, then why is it surprised that Ukraine considers them a pro-Russian force? This story is a shame for the country,” wrote Salome Samadashvili.

Historic PACE resolution

• What is Georgia’s ex-president tried for?
• Is Saakashvili a political prisoner? Lawyers and human rights defenders’ explain.
• Saakashvili’s hunger strike almost hit a month – what do we know about his health and what future awaits him?

Mikheil Saakashvili has been in prison for a year now. The former president was arrested after he secretly returned to Georgia on October 1, 2021. By this time, Saakashvili already had a verdict in absentia on charges of abuse of office; Saakashvili and his associates called all accusations against him politically motivated.

Historic PACE resolution