Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili was sentenced on Wednesday to nine more years in prison after being found guilty of embezzlement, the Interpress news agency reported.
Saakashvili, who was president from 2004 to 2013, was jailed for six years for abuse of power after he returned to Georgia in 2021 after a spell abroad. He has spent much of that sentence in a prison hospital.
Georgian television showed scenes of commotion in the courtroom after the verdict was announced, with Saakashvili supporters calling the judge a "slave" of the present government.
A deeply polarising figure in Georgia today, Saakashvili rose to power on a tide of popular acclaim in the 2003 Rose Revolution.
In power, he reorientated Georgia towards the West and embarked on an ambitious public sector reform program that delivered rapid improvements in the South Caucasus country of 3.7 million.
However, the latter part of his tenure was marked by authoritarianism, police brutality, and a disastrous 2008 war with Russia.
In 2012, his United National Movement party lost an election to a coalition headed by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire businessman who remains Georgia's de facto leader to this day.
After leaving office, Saakashvili moved to Ukraine, where he briefly served as governor of the southern Odesa region.
In 2021, he returned to Georgia, despite having been convicted in absentia of abuse of power. He was arrested and jailed on arrival.
Bulgaria can play a key role in the development of the Green Energy Corridor project, - said Energy Minister, Zhecho Stankov, at the 10th ministerial meeting in connection with the strategic partnership agreement for the development and transmission of green energy.
The Swedish Government has instructed Sida, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, to stop all cooperation with Georgia in response to "the serious deterioration of the democratic situation" in the country.
The President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov and the Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Kobakhidze held a talks in Ashgabat on Friday.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze visits Turkmenistan to enhance bilateral ties, discuss trade, transport, and energy, and advance the Middle Corridor project.
The Georgian Foreign Ministry has expressed concern over the worsening security, humanitarian, and human rights situation in the Russia-occupied regions, along with the ongoing illegal militarization.
Nigeria has reported five new deaths from Lassa fever, bringing the total fatalities this year to 100. The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) noted an increase in confirmed cases, with 236 new suspected cases and 29 confirmed across 13 states.
Türkiye and Egypt have agreed to enhance cooperation in natural gas and mining, focusing on energy security, during talks at the CERAWeek 2025 energy conference.
Al Shabaab militants attacked a hotel in Beledweyne, Somalia, killing at least 10 people, mostly civilians. The assault began with a car bomb followed by a gunfight as militants clashed with government forces. Clan leaders meeting to discuss countering the group were among the victims.
Separatist militants hijacked the Jaffar Express in southwest Pakistan, taking over 400 passengers hostage, including suicide bombers. A tense rescue operation is underway as the Baloch Liberation Army threatens executions unless its demands are met.
President Donald Trump is preparing a new travel ban that could block entry for people from Afghanistan and Pakistan as early as next week. The move is part of an intensified immigration crackdown.
Italy’s League party urges the government to favour Starlink over French-led Eutelsat for satellite communication systems, citing Starlink's technological edge. The push comes amid delays in the EU’s IRIS² program, as Italy seeks secure communication solutions for officials.
XPeng Motors plans to mass-produce flying cars by 2026, becoming the first company globally to do so. CEO He Xiaopeng also highlighted advancements in autonomous driving and humanoid robotics as part of the company’s future tech initiatives.
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is set to condemn Trump’s Gaza “Riviera” plan, backing Egypt’s $53 billion reconstruction proposal. A classified draft resolution, rejects the relocation of Gazans, calls for urgent international support, and mobilises opposition to the U.S. stance.
On March 12, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with Vaira Vike-Freiberga and Ismail Serageldin, co-chairs of the Nizami Ganjavi International Center, along with former heads of state, government, and Board of Trustees members.
Militants wearing suicide bombs held hostages on a train hijacked in Balochistan, Pakistan. The Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility, threatening to execute hostages unless political prisoners are released. The attack, which killed several, complicates ongoing rescue efforts.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Affairs Minister Jeyhum Bayramov has been received today by Kazakhstan's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Murat Nurtleu.
President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova of North Macedonia gave press statements following their meeting, discussing bilateral relations and cooperation.
Nigeria has reported five new deaths from Lassa fever, bringing the total fatalities this year to 100. The Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC) noted an increase in confirmed cases, with 236 new suspected cases and 29 confirmed across 13 states.
Türkiye and Egypt have agreed to enhance cooperation in natural gas and mining, focusing on energy security, during talks at the CERAWeek 2025 energy conference.
Al Shabaab militants attacked a hotel in Beledweyne, Somalia, killing at least 10 people, mostly civilians. The assault began with a car bomb followed by a gunfight as militants clashed with government forces. Clan leaders meeting to discuss countering the group were among the victims.
Separatist militants hijacked the Jaffar Express in southwest Pakistan, taking over 400 passengers hostage, including suicide bombers. A tense rescue operation is underway as the Baloch Liberation Army threatens executions unless its demands are met.
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