TBILISI, March 19 – The imprisoned former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili has asked to be taken to the funeral of Patriarch Ilia II, saying he wants to attend as both a friend of the late church leader and as Georgia’s third president.
Saakashvili announced the request on social media on Wednesday, stating that he had asked his lawyer to file the necessary application. According to Interpressnews, he said he wanted to be brought to the patriarch’s funeral “as his friend, the third president of Georgia.”
The request came a day after Saakashvili published a separate tribute to Ilia II, calling him a major historical figure and saying a “great personality” had passed away. In that message, Saakashvili said the patriarch had the love of the people, restored the autocephaly of the Georgian Church, strengthened it and preserved its unity. He also wrote that Ilia II had been his friend and the godfather of his younger son.
Ilia II, the Catholicos-Patriarch of All Georgia, died on Tuesday at the age of 93, and Georgia has declared a period of mourning. He will be buried on Sunday, March 22, at Sioni Cathedral in Tbilisi.
Later on Wednesday, Anzor Chubinidze, head of Georgia’s Special State Protection Service, said it would be possible to provide security if Saakashvili were allowed to attend the funeral, but added that he personally would not support such a move.
Addressing his reasons for opposing the idea of the ex-president attending the funeral, Chubinidze told TV Pirveli that it could cause unrest among the public.
