questioning of Saakashvili March 2014

Former President Saakashvili convicted of ‘abuse of power’ by Tbilisi court

By | January 5th, 2018|Categories: News|Tags: , , , |

TBILISI, DFWatch–A court in Georgia on Friday found the country’s former president Mikheil Saakashvili guilty of abuse of power and sentenced him to three years in jail. The sentence, which was passed in absentia, was initially four years, but the term was curtailed due to an amnesty law. […]

Court told ex-president Saakashvili protected Girgvliani’s murderers

By | May 16th, 2017|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

Sandro Girgvliani was 28 years old when he was murdered in January, 2006. Irakli Okruashvili. (GPB.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A former minister claimed Georgian ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili protected several high ranking officials from prosecution as the high-profile trial about the murder of a young bank employee in Georgia eleven years ago continued in Tbilisi on Monday. […]

Georgian defense minister asks Ukraine to explain Saakashvili’s statements

By | July 25th, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

Tina Khidasheli. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian Defense Minister Tina Khidasheli has asked Ukraine’s government to explain whether they take responsibility for statements made by former Georgian President Mikheil Saaksahvili, who is now governor of Odessa. […]

Court allows prosecution’s evidence in Saakashvili trial

By | June 23rd, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: , |

(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court has accepted evidence presented by the Prosecutor General’s Office in a criminal case against ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili. The former leader was charged last November in a case that concerns the murder of a bank employee […]

Still no answer to Georgia’s request to Azerbaijan regarding Saakashvili

By | May 3rd, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: |

(Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Prosecutor General’s Office told DF Watch that they still haven’t received a response from Azerbaijan to a request to extradite former President Mikheil Saakashvili. Last week, Saakashvili visited Baku to participate in a political […]

Azerbaijan hosts Saakashvili, rejects Georgia’s extradition request

By | April 30th, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Mikheil Saakashvili (left) and Ilham Aliyev. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia has asked Azerbaijan to detain ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili during a visit to the neighbor country. Saakashvili has had a meeting with the president of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev. According to local media, Azerbaijan’s […]

Georgia modifies charges against five ex-officials including Saakashvili

By | March 14th, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , |

Mikheil Saakashvili. (Facebook.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Georgian Prosecutor General’s Office on Saturday modified the charges against five former high officials, including ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili. In Saakashvili’s and former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili’s cases, the charges […]

Ukraine’s ambassador to Georgia defends Saakashvili appointment

By | February 19th, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

Ukraine’s Ambassador to Georgia Vasyl Tsybenko. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Ukraine’s ambassador to Georgia on Monday defended his country’s appointment of Georgian officials who ex-President Saakashvili as an adviser, after being called in to the Foreign Ministry in Tbilisi. Saakashvili is wanted in four criminal […]

Georgia asks Ukraine to extradite Saakashvili

By | February 18th, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

Mikheil Saakashvili. (Maestro.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia has asked Ukraine to extradite ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili and ex Justice Minister Zurab Adeishvili. Both are working for the Kiev government despite being charged with a number of crimes in their home country. The Prosecutor […]

Tbilisi summons Ukraine’s ambassador about Saakashvili appointment

By | February 16th, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Mikheil Saakashvili was last week appointed adviser to Ukraine’s President Petro Poroshenko. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The government in Georgia has summed the Ukrainian ambassador to explain why ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili, who is wanted in his home country, has been appointed to a high position in Kiev. Ambassador Vasyl Tsybenko was asked to come to the […]

Saakashvili appointed adviser to Ukraine’s Poroshenko

By | February 14th, 2015|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was Friday officially confirmed as adviser to the Ukrainian president, despite being wanted for crimes in his home country. Saakashvili will be head of the Advisory International Council of Reforms, […]

New forensic report prompts tougher charges against Saakashvili

By | November 11th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Mikheil Saakashvili is now also charged with organizing deliberate severe damage to someone’s health. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–A new forensic report concluding that the victim of a beating in 2005 had life-threatening injuries has led to tougher charges being introduced against Georgia’s former president Mikheil Saakashvili. The Georgian Prosecutor’s Office announced […]

Foreign experts say evidence against Saakashvili is sound

By | October 24th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , |

Former President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Three foreign prosecutors visiting Georgia have concluded that there is enough evidence to continue the criminal prosecution of ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili and three of his associates. Georgia’s chief prosecutor’s office announced this on Thursday. […]

Georgia’s parliament speaker defends Ivanishvili in newspaper ad

By | October 17th, 2014|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , , |

Speaker of Parliament Davit Usupashvili admires Ivanishvili’s philanthropism. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The speaker of the Georgian parliament went on the offensive Thursday against former President Mikheil Saakashvili and in defense of the billionaire who brought together the current government coalition, Bidzina Ivanishvili. Speaker of Parliament […]

Saakashvili’s former head of security also subject to asset freeze

By | September 23rd, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

Temur Janashia (left) and his lawyer Beka Basilaia. (Rustavi 2.) TBILISI, DFWatch–After slapping an asset freeze on former President Mikheil Saakashvili, the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office got court approval to do the same with the property of his almost inseparable head of security, Temur Janashia. Sitting next to his attorney […]

Saakashvili’s Georgian bank accounts also seized, lawyer claims

By | September 22nd, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia has seized the bank accounts of former President Mikheil Saakashvili, his attorney wrote in a Facebook update on Sunday. This comes only days after the a ruling in the Appeals Court which confirmed the seizure […]

Court in Georgia orders seizure of ex-President Saakashvili’s property

By | September 19th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: |

Tbilisi City Court. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Appeals Court in Georgia Friday upheld a decision to seize the property of former president Mikheil Saakashvili, along with the property of his spouse, sons, parents and grandmother. To most Georgians, it has been unknown until today that there even was […]

Saakashvili makes appearance on Turkish border

By | September 1st, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: |

Ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former President Mikheil Saakashvili on Saturday appeared at Sarpi checkpoint’s Turkish side, on the border between Georgia and Turkey and met with members and supporters of his National Movement party. After his appearance was reported, the Prosecutor’s Office started […]

Georgia to ask Interpol help detain Saakashvili

By | August 31st, 2014|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

Ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia is preparing to ask Interpol to issue a red alert for ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili and declare him internationally wanted. In mid-August, Georgia announced a domestic search for Saakashvili, which means that […]

Saakashvili returns clothes after embezzlement charge

By | August 20th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Police took action as clothes belonging to former President Saakashvili were delivered at the government office. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Tuesday returned clothes to the government in Georgia, after being charged with inappropriate spending while in office. A few days ago, the Prosecutor’s Office charged Saakashvili with […]

Georgian prosecutors publish more details about Saakashvili’s spending

By | August 17th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: |

Mikheil Saakashvili, former Georgian president. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office on Saturday published more details about what ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili spent money for that was meant to be used for the security force SSPS. Saakashvili is charged with embezzlement of more than eight […]

Saakashvili says spending was necessary

By | August 15th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: |

Mikheil Saakashvili, former Georgian president. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili again denies the new corruption charge about embezzling eight million lari from the security force SSPS. Prosecutors say instead of using the money on the SSPS, Saakashvili spent it on vacations, presents, […]

Search order issued for ex-President Saakashvili

By | August 15th, 2014|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia has issued a domestic search order for ex-President Mikheil Saakahsvili. Georgia’s Prosecutor’s Office prepared the order and has forwarded it to the Interior Ministry. This means that if Saakashvili enters the country, […]

Saakashvili’s appeal turned down

By | August 6th, 2014|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: |

(Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Appeals Court in Georgia left in force a decision by Tbilisi City Court to place ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili and former officials in pre-trial detention in a case concerning the violent dispersal of an anti-government demonstration on November 7, 2007. […]

New charges against Saakashvili

By | August 6th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: |

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The Prosecutor’s Office in Georgia has brought further charges against ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili and other former officials in a case concerning an attack on a former parliamentarian. Prosecutors say Saakashvili and former Interior […]

Saakashvili given pre-trial detention in absentia

By | August 2nd, 2014|Categories: In brief, News|Tags: , |

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili speaking in Kiev in March, 2014. (Maestro.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Tbilisi City Court on Friday evening decided to issue a pre-trial detention order for ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili, although he is not in Georgia at the moment. After leaving office in November 2013, the former president has not been in Georgia. […]

Saakashvili: ‘I have never committed a crime’

By | July 29th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: |

Former President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Monday responded to the criminal charges brought against him by writing that he has never committed a crime. “They have never proved that I’ve been guilty in any crime as I’ve never committed one […]

UN expert panel supports Georgia’s investigations

By | July 29th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

The family of murdered ranger Davit Tsendeliani demonstrated in June, demanding justice. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–The United Nations Human Rights Committee urges Georgia to continue its trials against former officials and welcomes the country’s adoption of an anti-discrimination law last May. This is some of the content of a new report drawn up by the influential […]

Saakashvili formally charged for 2007 crackdown

By | July 28th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili during an interview with a Ukrainian TV channel. (112.ua.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was Monday criminally charged for the hardhanded crackdown on anti-government protesters and the storming of a TV station in Tbilisi on November 7, 2007. […]

‘Biden threatened sanctions to stop them questioning me’

By | April 24th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Mikheil Saakashvili during an interview with Ukrainian TV in December, 2013. (112.ua) TBILISI, DFWatch–A government spokesman in Georgia rejects a claim by ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili that US Vice President Joe Biden called and threatened sanctions. Saakashvili claimed Biden threatened that the West would seize ex-Prime Minister Bidzina […]

Saakashvili wants to educate Ukrainians in reforms

By | April 4th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: , , |

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili is to start a center for the study of reforms in the Ukrainian capital Kiev. Saakashvili, who is currently in Kiev, said in an interview with a TV channel there that he wants to share his experiences […]

Georgian prosecutors proceed without Saakashvili’s help

By | April 4th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: |

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgian prosecutors will not question ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili. The investigation continues without his testimony. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Irakli Shotadze said on Thursday that Saakashvili failed to do his citizen duty and come for […]

Saakashvili offers to give testimony, but only during trial

By | March 30th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: , |

Mikheil Saakashvili speaking at Independence Square in Kiev March 29, 2014. (Maestro TV.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former President Mikheil Saakashvili offers the current government his own rules of the game; rules which are against Georgian legislation. The rules in question are about how to question witnesses in criminal cases. This issue has been a source […]

Saakashvili refuses to be questioned via Skype

By | March 28th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: |

Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former President Mikheil Saakashvili has refused an offer from the Georgian Prosecutor’s Office to give witness testimony via Skype. Saakashvili was called to come and answer questions about ten criminal cases, with status as witness, but the […]

Saakashvili did not show up, supporters and opponents clash

By | March 27th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: |

Supporters and opponents of Mikheil Saakashvili fought each other outside the Chief Prosecutor’s office in Tbilisi, where the former Georgian president failed to show up for questioning today. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili was supposed to meet at the Prosecutor’s Office today at 13:00, but he didn’t come. Supporters and opponents had gathered at the office and clashed and two people were detained for hooliganism. “Today I am Misha […]

Saakashvili refuses to come home for questioning, blames Putin

By | March 26th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: |

Mikheil Saakashvili. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on Tuesday made his first comments regarding the news that he is asked to testify in ten serious criminal cases in his home country. Many of his closest associates have been put on trial in the last two […]

Saakashvili wanted at home, party office sprayed with red paint

By | March 25th, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: , , , , |

Demonstrators called on former President Saakashvili to come home and answer questions about ten criminal cases. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Demonstrators in Georgia Tuesday demanded that former President Mikheil Saakashvili returns to his home country and answers questions from prosecutors. Two people were detained for throwing red paint at party symbols outside the National Movement […]

West warns Georgia against prosecuting Saakashvili

By | March 24th, 2014|Categories: Europe, News|Tags: , , |

Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves warns that Georgia’s EU treaty may be stalled if the investigation of former officials continues. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s Western partners are threatening that prosecuting former President Saakashvili may jeopardize an EU treaty and membership in NATO. Georgia has for years sought closer integration with the European Union and membership in NATO. In June, […]

Saakashvili called in for questioning in numerous cases

By | March 22nd, 2014|Categories: News|Tags: , |

May become a wanted person. Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili addressing the crowd at Independence Square in Kiev, December 2013. (Interpressnews.) TBILISI, DFWatch–Georgia’s former President Mikheil Saakashvili will be declared a wanted person if he doesn’t come and answer questions in a long list of criminal cases. Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili said this today. “If he does not come, he will be declared […]