UNM Stops Mass Hunger Strike

By Natalia Kochiashvili

Tuesday, January 4, 2022

The former president claimed that if the hunger strikers did not stop, he would resort to an extreme form of protest himself.

For the record, the party leaders, supporters, and civil activists near the office of the National Movement went on a hunger strike for 12 days.

Following the former president Mikheil Saakashvili's request on January 1, 200 protestors seeking his release from prison called off a major hunger fast that began on December 21.

Nika Melia, the leader of the United National Movement (UNM), declared a mass hunger strike for Saakashvili's release on his birthday, December 21 during a UNM gathering in central Tbilisi.

Supporters of the former president set up 9 tents on Kakheti Highway, close to the UNM party's headquarters, to demonstrate against his detention. Members of the party, notably Melia, and civic activists were among the demonstrators. Melia indicated that the decision was taken at Saakashvili's request, stressing that the choice would not have been made otherwise.

Following the announcement of a large demonstration demanding Saakashvili's release, some 300 people have gone on hunger strike.

The former president was transferred to Rustavi No. 12 jail on December 30 from Gori Military Hospital, where he was receiving treatment after a 50-day hunger strike that began on the day of his arrest in Tbilisi on October 1. Saakashvili was admitted to Gori Military Hospital On November 19.

“Mikheil Saakashvili is worried about the condition of each person on hunger strike and he will be forced to resume the hunger strike, which none of us has the right to allow, because the start of the hunger strike by him will be fatal and therefore, together with our comrades, we decided to move to the next stage of the fight, which will be diverse and non-violent, until justice prevails in the country and political justice ends. Therefore, we are moving to another stage of the struggle,” Melia explained.

More than 200 individuals have been on hunger strike since that, according to the UNM, however, several protestors have been hospitalized due to health concerns.

Following his clandestine return from 8 years in political exile earlier this year in October, Saakashvili, who now possesses Ukrainian citizenship, is serving a term for abuse of authority. The former president was found guilty In his absence on 2 charges of obstruction of justice. He was sentenced to 6 years in jail on 2 counts of abuse of authority. He is also accused of unlawful property seizure, embezzlement, illegal rally dispersion, and illegal border crossing.