Georgia's Ex-President Saakashvili Sentenced to 12½ Years in Prison

Mikheil Saakashvili, who led Georgia from 2004 to 2013, denounces charges as politically motivated following his latest conviction for illegal border crossing.

• Mikheil Saakashvili, former president of Georgia, was sentenced to an additional 4½ years in prison for illegal border crossing, bringing his total sentence to 12½ years.
• Saakashvili has been imprisoned since 2021 on multiple charges, including embezzlement and abuse of power, which he and his defense claim are politically motivated.
• The court's latest verdict follows prior convictions and precedes an ongoing trial over his administration's violent crackdown on protests in 2007.
• Saakashvili's health has reportedly deteriorated during his detention, and he is currently receiving medical treatment at a clinic for chronic conditions.
• Critics accuse Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream party of using the judiciary to target political opponents and shifting the country away from its pro-Western path.

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