TBILISI, October 10 – Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili criticizes the ongoing arrests linked to the October 4 unrest outside the presidential residence, calling the situation a sign that “everyone” is now at risk of imprisonment regardless of background or profession.
In a lengthy post published Friday on his official Facebook page, Saakashvili reacted to the detention of Dr. Giorgi Chakhunashvili, a well-known physician who is among those charged after the confrontation billed as a “peaceful revolution” by parts of the opposition. The former president described him as “a noble man and a model citizen,” accusing the government of “jailing intellectuals, athletes, and people of all walks of life.”
“Once, they only arrested members of the United National Movement,” Saakashvili wrote, referring to his own opposition party. “Now they arrest everyone.” He added that women, the elderly, and family members of political figures were no longer spared, arguing that the authorities had abandoned any restraint.
Saakashvili, who studied law in the U.S., framed the arrests as a sign of deepening repression, while also urging Georgia’s opposition factions to stop “pointing fingers at each other,” a reference to the divisions that surfaced after the failed “peaceful revolution” attempt on October 4. “Disunity only helps Ivanishvili,” he wrote, referring to Bidzina Ivanishvili, the billionaire founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
The remarks come as the number of detainees in the October 4 case has risen to 46, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Among those arrested are activists, politicians, and several professionals accused of participating in the attempt to storm the presidential compound.
Saakashvili, who served as president from 2004 to 2013, is currently serving a prison sentence on abuse-of-power charges that he claims are politically motivated. He continues to issue frequent online statements from a private medical facility where he is being held for health reasons.
