"Mikheil Saakashvili's imprisonment is unacceptable, it points in the opposite direction of democratic development" | Former OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President

The former President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly demands the release of Mikheil Saakashvili and writes that the imprisonment of Mikheil Saakashvili is totally unacceptable to him and shows a serious regression in the democratic development of Georgia.

"I read an article in the reputable Belgian newspaper Le Soir about the dramatic situation of Mikheil Saakashvili, who is imprisoned in Tbilisi. I protest this with great indignation. Saakashvili is facing death at any moment. It is unacceptable that he is being treated in a humiliating manner. I think the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly should demand his immediate release and an end to this imprisonment , which is totally inappropriate for a man who has always accepted the results of democratic elections in his country.

Mikheil Saakashvili's imprisonment is completely unacceptable to me and shows a serious setback in Georgia's democratic development. I have lived in my country during the longest-lasting dictatorship in Western Europe. I am absolutely convinced that the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly should advocate Saakashvili's immediate release. He was our host in Batumi and Tbilisi. He participated in our meetings... He handed over power when he lost an election, the first peaceful transfer of power in Georgia's history. To put him in jail for political reasons is to use Putin's methods. Free Saakashvili now!", João Soares wrote.