'Ukrainians do not abandon their own': Saakashvili appeals to Zelenskyy for help

Saakashvili pointed out that he was forced to turn to Zelenskyy because he was transferred from a prison hospital, where he had been treated for severe poisoning, back to the prison "with the same personnel who poisoned him."

"My poisoning in March 2022 occurred after the start of the full-scale war. The fact of the poisoning was confirmed by American and German laboratories," he added.

According to Saakashvili, he was arrested on a completely fabricated case, and the then-Prime Minister of Georgia even openly stated that the case was linked to his activities in Ukraine.

Recently, a new criminal case was opened against Saakashvili, accusing him of "sabotage on behalf of a foreign state." In the case materials, the former Georgian president claims, there are quotes from Zelenskyy and Presidential Office adviser Mykhailo Podolyak.

"In this context, it is absolutely clear that my persecution and my fate are connected to the war… Please include me on the list of civilian prisoners of this war with the corresponding legal consequences. I know that Ukrainians do not abandon their own, and I am counting on you," Saakashvili said in his appeal to Zelenskyy.

Saakashvili’s return to prison

On November 12, it became known that former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was discharged from the Tbilisi Vivamed Clinic, where he had been under medical supervision since 2022.

The Georgian Penitentiary Service stated that Saakashvili’s health was deemed satisfactory, so he was transferred back to Prison No. 12 to continue serving his sentence.

Saakashvili returned to Georgia in 2021. After that, he was arrested and taken into custody based on previously issued verdicts in absentia.

In March 2025, the court added an additional 4.5 years to Saakashvili’s prison sentence.