Gakharia for Georgia’s Giga Parulava: TI Georgia likely caved to bullying from Mikheil Saakashvili before designating him a political prisoner

“Transparency International Georgia presumably could not withstand the bullying from Mikheil Saakashvili, and consequently made the decision to include him on their list of political prisoners,” stated Giga Parulava, a member of the Gakharia for Georgia party.

“We have stated on numerous occasions, and I will reiterate today: for us, Saakashvili is not a political prisoner, just as Garibashvili is not a political prisoner. Now, why Transparency International Georgia is making this specific decision is entirely up to them,” declared Parulava.

For context, Transparency International Georgia released a statement confirming that former President Mikheil Saakashvili will be added to their compiled list of political prisoners. According to the organisation’s assessment, “the guilty verdict delivered in the so-called ‘suits case’ is unsubstantiated and unjust, while ongoing legal proceedings against him are politically motivated, as a result of which Saakashvili meets four out of the five criteria defined for a political prisoner under Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Resolution 1900 (2012).”

Notably, Transparency International Georgia previously compiled a similar list of prisoners, which did not include the former president. Mikheil Saakashvili himself critisised that decision at the time.