“It was solely the Strasbourg Court that brought closure to the Saakashvili case, exposing the Georgian opposition, as well as foreign friends and foes, for their falsehoods and dismantling the misleading narrative constructed over the past months,” Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili stated on his social media.

Papuashvili pointed out that this deceptive campaign, which involved high-ranking officials from Europe and the United States, the Public Defender, the opposition, and various non-governmental organizations, persisted for nearly two years.

“On October 1, 2021, just one day before the local self-government elections, our security services apprehended Mikheil Saakashvili, who had clandestinely entered Georgia under the direction of the head of Ukrainian military intelligence.

The motive behind his entry is clear: to appear on election day, incite unrest, and overturn the elections he was destined to lose.

Prior to this, Saakashvili, who had been sentenced to six years for the murder of Girgvliani and the beating of Gelashvili, was freely moving throughout the EU and US, holding high positions within the Ukrainian government while orchestrating radical political groups in Georgia and meeting with representatives of various EU institutions and political groups.

Once our security services thwarted the scheme to instigate unrest, which included Saakashvili’s infiltration, unprecedented pressure began to mount on the government to release Saakashvili from imprisonment.

The former Public Defender produced a misleading report claiming that Saakashvili’s health condition was so dire that he should be granted release from prison. This false conclusion received support from the opposition and non-governmental organizations. A highly shameful campaign, dubbed “Freedom to Misha,” emerged, featuring various well-known figures. A demarche was issued to the Ministry of Justice on behalf of the European Union, implying that Saakashvili’s incarceration posed a problem that needed to be resolved.

We witnessed resolutions from the European Parliament, crafted by American lobbyists, the so-called “sock scandal” involving a Polish physician, and scenarios reminiscent of Hollywood films about special agents.

This deceptive campaign, which implicated high-ranking officials in Europe and the US, the Public Defender, the opposition, and non-governmental organizations, endured for almost two years. Throughout this period, there was not a single day without external attacks on Georgia, perpetuated by the same individuals who continue today to assail and defame our nation’s standing.

Only the Strasbourg Court brought an end to this situation, unveiling the falsehoods propagated by the Georgian opposition and foreign entities while dismantling the distorted narrative that had been constructed over many months.

And, as if nothing had transpired, Saakashvili reportedly recovered from dementia, while foreign politicians and diplomats swiftly shifted the topic of discussion. There was no acknowledgement of wrongdoing, no “apologies,” and no inquiry into how this situation unfolded. Nothing at all. They inflicted harm upon us, tarnishing the reputation of our entire country, and simply moved on. It seems that such friendships do exist. Therefore, on October 26, we approach Europe with peace, dignity, and aspirations for prosperity!” Shalva Papuashvili concluded.