Alexei Navalny Calls on Georgian Gov't to Pardon Mikheil Saakashvili
By Liza Mchedlidze
Friday, April 14, 2023
Putin's political prisoner, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny wrote about Mikheil Saakashvili's situation.
Navalny apologized for insulting statements made by him used towards Georgians in 2008 and said that he was influenced by the news he heard about his friend being fired upon in Tskhinvali.
Navalny said that the torture of the former president is horrible and heartless and said that the whole of Georgia will be affected by this revenge.
Navalny called on the Georgian authorities to take a 'Christian' step and pardon Saakashvili.
"I want to say about Mikheil Saakashvili that I don't know him and have never met him, I don't know anyone from his team and no one asked me to write this post.
I, to my shame, have a rather weak idea of Georgian politics, and I might be wrong. Much to my shame, I, under the influence of the fact that my friend was under bombardment in Tskhinvali, wrote a post in 2008 with offensive epithets addressed to Georgians.
I apologized for that and I apologize again, although I know that my opinion in this regard does not have much weight in Georgia.
However, I still decided to write as a human being and as a Christian because it is so hard to watch.
Saakashvili is suffering, his family is suffering, and all of Georgia is suffering because of what is happening, and it is not good for those who want Saakashvili to stay in prison until he dies.
I believe in a happy European future for Georgia. It is a great country that has everything for development. I believe that political conflict (and where isn't it?) will be resolved peacefully and safely.
But this imprisonment of the former president is horrible and heartless. This damages the European path. This stunts development, reducing the chances of a normal future. It lowers morale and fills the country with evil," Navalny's statement reads.
