"I cried a lot while reading these letters in my cell" - Mikheil Saakashvili on the letters of teachers and Gela Charkviani

Georgia's third president Mikheil Saakashvili recalled his teachers and the letters they sent him in prison, during his court appearance.

Mikheil Saakashvili also spoke about Gela Charkviani:

"Georgia is a country where I was taught by teachers such as Gela Charkviani and Marad Chavchavadze. I received a letter from my first teacher, Nineli Tatarashvili, who taught me the most innovative system of Shalva Amonashvili in the first experimental school, as well as from Klara Chkhaidze, from the 51st school. From a teacher of Georgian language and literature and I will not hide it from you, I cried a lot while reading these letters in my cell, I have never had such a reaction to anything else.

I know that Gela Charkviani was the first to sign the petition for my release in the last days of his life, and of course I heard the story of his death shortly before I passed out in the 18th institution. That too was a very hard blow for me. Gela often said that I was the best student in his life, and I just told myself that I couldn't manage to see him and tell him that he was my best teacher.

It may not be important now, be it mysticism, but a few days before I heard about Gela's death I had a dream about his flat in Peking street, and it was as if Irakli Charkviani, who was my friend, and we grew up together, told me that Gela was gone for a bit and would be back in a while and a few days later I heard the story of his death.

I had dreams about Georgia every night: Batumi, Abkhazia, the stadium in my backyard, where I used to go when to play football, and the feeling that I and all Georgians are losing it all, is unbearable," said Mikheil Saakashvili.