Ukrainian Rada urges Georgian president to pardon Saakashvili

MOSCOW. July 14 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada has called on Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili to pardon former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, a citizen of Ukraine, considering serious health issues he is suffering from.

Ukrainian media reported with reference to parliamentarian Yaroslav Zheleznyak that the Rada passed an address to Zourabichvili and the parliaments of the European Union countries "to perform an act of humanity and pardon Saakashvili."

The address also urged Zourabichvili to provide Rada's Human Rights Commissioner Dmitry Lubinets with access to Saakashvili.

Saakashvili secretly arrived in Georgia on September 29, 2021 and was detained in Tbilisi on October 1. Shortly afterwards, he ended up in a prison in the city of Rustavi, where he went on a hunger strike. On November 8, 2021, Saakashvili was transferred from Rustavi prison to a prison infirmary in Tbilisi. On November 20, 2021, Saakashvili was transferred to a military hospital in Gori. He was then transferred to the Vivamedi civilian clinic in Tbilisi on May 12, 2022 where he is currently staying.

Several criminal cases were opened against Saakashvili in Georgia. He has called his detention unlawful and says the charges brought against him are falsified.

Saakashvili served as president of Georgia in 2004-2013.