Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili believes that his life is in danger as long as he remains in prison in Georgia, UNN reports with reference to Novosti Georgia.
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At the court hearing on Wednesday, Saakashvili recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin often compared him to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, whose death in prison caused a wide international outcry and condemnation.
"He [Vladimir Putin] has indicated in every possible way that Mikheil Saakashvili and Navalny were his number one enemies. He has eliminated one enemy, and the second one is in his hands, because everything related to the Georgian penitentiary system is controlled from start to finish, in particular, by the Russian special services, and we know this very well. However, I plan to fight in spite of the enemy, I will definitely fight for you. My life means nothing to me. I put my freedom and life at the feet of the Georgian people," Saakashvili said.
According to the politician, the risks to his life have increased since the start of the war in Ukraine. He recalled that he is the chairman of the National Council for Reforms of Ukraine and called President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy his "immediate boss.
"Before that, they killed Politkovskaya, whom I knew very well, Nemtsov, with whom I had many disagreements but with whom I was very friendly, and now Navalny. Putin also publicly expressed his desire to hang me by a thread, Putin threatened from the very beginning that I would go to prison, from the very beginning he threatened that I would certainly be physically destroyed," Saakashvili said.
The politician expressed his support for Yulia Navalnaya's widow, who promised to continue her husband's cause. He also expressed solidarity with Russian opposition leader Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was arrested in April 2022 for spreading "fakes" about the actions of the Russian army in Ukraine.
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According to media reports, the ruling Georgian Dream party is unhappy with statements comparing Saakashvili to Navalny. The Georgian leadership emphasizes the "appropriateness" of such parallels. The ruling party warns the public about the launch of "a new, very large campaign both inside and outside the country" for Saakashvili's early release.
Against this backdrop, the former president's United National Movement party began collecting signatures calling on President Saloma Zurabishvili to pardon Saakashvili.
At the Munich Security Conference, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski also drew parallels between Navalny and Saakashvili, calling on Zurabishvili to pardon the former Georgian president.