Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was sentenced on Wednesday to an additional nine years in prison after being found guilty of embezzlement, according to the Interpress news agency.
Saakashvili, who led Georgia from 2004 to 2013, was previously sentenced to six years for abuse of power after his return to Georgia in 2021 following a period abroad. Much of his sentence has been served in a prison hospital.
Georgian television broadcast scenes of commotion in the courtroom as Saakashvili’s supporters condemned the judge, calling him a “slave” of the current government.
Once a widely celebrated leader who came to power during the 2003 Rose Revolution, Saakashvili pursued pro-Western policies and spearheaded significant public sector reforms. However, his tenure was later marred by accusations of authoritarianism, police brutality, and Georgia’s 2008 war with Russia.
In 2012, his United National Movement party lost power to a coalition led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who continues to wield significant influence in Georgia.
After leaving office, Saakashvili moved to Ukraine, where he briefly served as governor of the Odesa region. Despite being convicted in absentia for abuse of power, he returned to Georgia in 2021, was arrested upon arrival, and has remained imprisoned since.
