“Georgian government has the last chance to take the only correct decision and release jailed ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili,” said Levan Khabeishvili, Chairman of the opposition United National Movement (UNM) party.

The UNM Chair urged the government to take the request of the Ukrainian President into account and stop the anti-Ukrainian campaign.

“Our country has the primary national goal linked to the EU candidate status and Georgia’s European future. Yesterday we heard the statement of President Zelenskyy, the chief commander fighting against Putin. He asked for President Saakashvili’s release and his handing over to Ukraine.

In the meantime, I would remind you of the simple truth of the last months after Putin began terrorist activities in Ukraine that, unfortunately, the Georgian government did not join the sanctions to help Ukraine, it wages the anti-Ukrainian campaign and restored Russia-Georgia direct flights. There are suspicions that Georgia circumvents international sanctions, and, in fact, the entire civilized community sees that the Georgian government does not behave well,” Khabeishvili said.

The UNM Chair added that President Zelenskyy’s call was shortly echoed by foreign partners saying that the “pro-western reformer leader should not die in jail in torture.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday asked the Georgian Ambassador to leave Ukraine within 48 hours for consultations over ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili. He also called on the Georgian authorities “to hand over Ukrainian citizen Mykhailo Saakashvili to Ukraine for the necessary treatment and care.”