Georgia鈥檚 President: 鈥楽aakashvili is not Navalny鈥�
Salome Zourabichvili says she doesn鈥檛 think her predecessor will die in prison
Georgia鈥檚 President has told the 鲍鱼tv that her imprisoned predecessor Mikheil Saakashvili 鈥榠s not Navalny鈥�, despite international concerns over his treatment in jail. Salome Zourabichvili told the HARDtalk programme that comparisons are erroneous because 鈥榟e鈥檚 in jail because of the things he has been doing when he was a president, not as a political opponent鈥�.
She said the 鈥榲ast majority鈥� of Georgia鈥檚 population 鈥榗onsiders that he while he was the President of Georgia, overdoing his power in many, many respects. And that鈥檚 why he鈥檚 in jail.鈥�
Video and images of Mr Saakashvili sparked international concern last year after he appeared emaciated at a court hearing. He was imprisoned in 2021 after being convicted of committing abuses of power while in office. He says the charges were politically motivated. Since his imprisonment, his health has deteriorated significantly and he has alleged he was poisoned by authorities.
Asked by Sarah Montague whether she believes he has been tortured or poisoned, Ms Zourabichvili said 鈥楴o鈥 don鈥檛 believe that.鈥� But she acknowledged the significance of his health. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think he will die in prison. I am trying to and will oversee until the end that this doesn鈥檛 happen, because I agree that that would be a terrible blow for Georgia鈥檚 reputation that we cannot let happen. That鈥檚 why I was in a daily contact with all the authorities involved to be sure that nothing of that kind would be happening.鈥�
Georgia鈥檚 president has the power to pardon prisoners but Ms Zourabichvili said it鈥檚 鈥榮till a question mark鈥� as to whether she would grant it in this case. 鈥楾he more I鈥檓 pressed the more difficult it will get because I cannot accept that the discretionary power of pardoning鈥hat it鈥檚 put under pressure either from within or from outside. So the pardoning power is something that is my moral decision which I will take without informing anyone in advance.鈥�
Ukraine and Poland have both said they would take Saakashvili and President Zourabichvili acknowledged 鈥榯he possibility of extradition is still there.鈥� Asked whether that will happen, she responded 鈥榠t might鈥�.
