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.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday expressed support for protesters in Iran, saying Israel is closely monitoring developments as demo...
An extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has been held to reaffirm support for Somalia’s sovereignty, with Azerbaij...
Azerbaijan has sent 979 tonnes of fuel to Armenia, as supplies of petroleum products between the two countries continue....
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said Cuba should strike a deal with the United States, warning that the island nation would no longer receive oi...
Israeli gunfire killed at least three Palestinians in two separate incidents across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, local health authorities reported, as te...
Georgia is set to impose a transit fee on the second shipment of petroleum products from Azerbaijan to Armenia, according to Armenian media quoting a statement from Karen Ayiryan, Director of Mega Trade on Thursday (8 January).
Georgia has said it will clarify the circumstances surrounding the U.S. seizure of a Russian‑flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic and is seeking information on its Georgian crew members.
A series of statements by Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili has reignited debate over freedom of speech, the role of the Orthodox Church, and the influence of the European Union.
The speaker of Georgia’s parliament, Shalva Papuashvili, has questioned the European Union’s ability to act as a global geopolitical power, saying it no longer functions as a guarantor of international order.
U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out ordering a mission to capture Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying he is confident the war in Ukraine can be brought to an end.
Bob Weir, the rhythm guitarist, songwriter and co-founder of the Grateful Dead, has died at the age of 78, his family has said.
Türkiye is reportedly in discussions to join the defence alliance between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, a strategic move that could reshape security dynamics in the Middle East and South Asia.
China, Russia and Iran have begun a week-long joint naval exercise in South African waters, a move that comes amid strained relations between Washington and several members of the expanded BRICS bloc.
Warning of a strategic threat from Russia and China, Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States must acquire Greenland to prevent the Arctic island from falling under foreign control.
An extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has been held to reaffirm support for Somalia’s sovereignty, with Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Yalchin Rafiyev taking part amid concern over moves to recognise the breakaway region of Somaliland.
Azerbaijan has sent 979 tonnes of fuel to Armenia, as supplies of petroleum products between the two countries continue.
A protester briefly replaced the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran at its embassy in London with a pre-1979 version during an anti-government demonstration on Saturday, witnesses said.
Iran’s parliament met in an emergency session on Sunday as nationwide protests continued, with rights groups reporting more than 110 deaths.
Ali Larijani, a senior Iranian official and adviser to the supreme leader, has said recent protests amount to a security crisis directed from abroad, warning that the aim is to polarise society and weaken national unity at a moment of heightened confrontation.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment