Georgia sentences ex-President Saakashvili to additional 4.5 years over illegal border crossing

A court in Georgia has sentenced former President Mikheil Saakashvili to an additional four and a half years in prison on illegal border crossing charges, Georgian TV channel Mtavari reported on March 17.

The latest ruling follows a nine-year sentence issued last week on large-scale state funds embezzlement charges, adding up to almost 12 additional years in prison for Saakashvili.

The border crossing case concerns Saakashvili's secret return from Ukraine to Georgia on Sept. 29, 2021, despite being wanted by Georgian authorities. He was arrested on Oct. 1, 2021.

Four others were charged in separate proceedings over Saakashvili's illegal entry and released on bail.

Saakashvili, who served as Georgia's president from 2004-2007 and to 2008-2013, sought to align the country with the West but lost elections to the Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party years after a defeat in the 2008 Russia-Georgia war.

A longtime critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Saakashvili has accused billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chairman of the Georgian Dream, of orchestrating his prosecution on Moscow's orders.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled last May that there were no grounds to believe that Saakashvili's criminal proceedings were unfair.

Since Georgia follows the principle of sentence absorption, Saakashvili's earliest release date would be October 2030, considering his time in custody.

Saakashvili, who holds Ukrainian citizenship and previously served as the governor of Odesa Oblast, has faced worsening health conditions during his custody.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said in February 2023 that the "Georgian government is killing" Saakashvili after images surfaced showing his significant weight loss.

The ruling follows mass protests in Tbilisi over Georgia's disputed October elections, which saw the Kremlin-friendly Georgian Dream party retain power.

The crisis deepened after Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Georgia's EU integration could be delayed until 2028.