“Foreign countries will wait for the outcome of this mock investigation; only then will they consider how extensive these violations truly were, and only then might they take action,” former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili wrote on social media.

According to him, the key is active protest.

“It is very encouraging that we have begun sending appeals to international organisations en masse. This, among other things, has a certain deterrent effect on the commission of new crimes, but a response may take years.

The main thing is to stay active and to organise mass protests, not just wait for foreign countries to act. They will wait for the results of these mock investigations; only then will they assess the scale of the violations and decide on their response. If, in the meantime, we intensify our efforts here, the results will come faster from outside.

Let us not succumb to complacency, believing that the West will save us; when that help does not arrive in time, we risk falling into despair. We must act now, and aid will follow,” Saakashvili concludes.