Mikheil Saakashvili, the jailed ex-President of Georgia and a defendant in the so-called November 7, 2007 case, took part in the court session via a video link from the Vivamedi Clinic.

Saakashvili denied committing any crime and emphasized that Georgia has never had a guilty president. The ex-President dismissed the accusations against him as fabricated, attributing his current situation to Russian President Putin’s revenge.

Saakashvili expressed confidence in prevailing and urged his supporters to remain strong.

“At least we will defeat you. We will be able to put Georgia on its feet. We will need unity, standing together,” he said.

Saakashvili declared his intention to engage in political processes actively and called for civil conflict avoidance.

“Peace will be achieved through dialogue. We will do it together,” he said.

The ex-President continued: “We must regain Abkhazia peacefully. No one can take away our future. Allow me to engage in political processes actively. We should be able to find a common language.”

Saakashvili stated he was proud of being a citizen of Ukraine and thanked Georgians who protect Ukraine, as well as his supporters who stand by Ukrainian President Zelenskyy.

The case against Saakashvili and other former high-ranking officials pertains to allegations of exceeding their authority during the dispersal of protesters and the raid of the Imedi TV station on November 7, 2007.

They face charges of abuse of power, which carry a prison sentence of 5 to 8 years. The panel of three judges heard the case at Tbilisi City Court.