U.S. Ambassador deems Saakashvili's second-time appearance in court positive
U.S. Ambassador deems Saakashvili's second-time appearance in court positive

U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, Kelly Degnan thinks “it’s positive that Mr. Saakashvili was able to attend his court hearing in person a second time.”

Ambassador Degnan says “the police have done a good job of organizing it so that he can get there safely so that the media can cover the event in person and the public can observe the event.”

“So, I do think that there’s an effort being made to try and ensure that his right to a fair trial is being observed. Obviously, it’s the beginning of a process. It’s very important that, as I’ve mentioned before, the supporters exercise their right to peaceful assembly in a peaceful and orderly way. And it’s also very important for a fair trial to occur, and for there to be proper decorum in the courtroom itself. All these elements contribute to there being a fair trial or not. And I think, while the case is underway, the effort needs to continue to be made by all the parties involved to protect the rights that are at stake here,” Kelly Degnan underscored.

Today, Georgia’s jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili again stood before the judges, facing charges of the embezzlement of GEL 9,024,367 of state funds, also known as the “Case of Suits.”

The next trial is scheduled for December 27.