Mikheil Saakashvili, the third president of Georgia, has criticized Transparency International – Georgia (TI) for failing to include him in its newly published list of political prisoners.
“It is an absolute disgrace that Transparency International – Georgia, in the fifth year of my imprisonment, has not included me in the list of political prisoners,” Saakashvili wrote on his Facebook page, commenting on the organization’s report, which states that there are currently 91 political prisoners in Georgia.
Saakashvili stated that he considers the decision unfair and accused representatives of the non-governmental sector of bias. In his view, citizens perceive them as “insincere, ineffective grant-eaters.”
In addition, the former president called on “all fair-minded people to give a fitting response to this false ‘transparency,'” adding, “Shame on them.”
In his statement, Saakashvili also claimed that part of the Georgian non-governmental sector was responsible for discrediting his reformist government and helping Bidzina Ivanishvili come to power. He accused NGOs of failing to accept responsibility for what is happening in the country, saying they failed to condemn the political persecution of the opposition and violations during the 2018 and 2020 elections, and even avoid using the term “dictatorship.”
According to Saakashvili, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, and Amnesty International had previously referred to him as a political prisoner, whereas the Georgian organization failed to do so.
In conclusion, he commented on a subsequent clarification by Transparency International – Georgia, which stated that the list only included individuals detained for statements or participation in protest actions.
“They are lying here as well. Right now, I am being tried specifically for my political statements and calls to participate in protests as part of the so-called sabotage case, but they deliberately ignored this,” Saakashvili declared.
As a reminder, according to the updated report by Transparency International – Georgia, 91 people in Georgia currently meet the criteria for political prisoners established by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. This refers to 91 accused and convicted individuals currently held in custody.
