Saakashvili Denies Charges Against Him in Court

The President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, has denied the charges brought against him in court. "I do not accept the prosecution's accusations and the Georgian justice system. I am not here to take part in a pre-written farce," Saakashvili stated, according to RIA Novosti.

This is the first time the political figure has attended court hearings since his arrest. Supporters are staging a protest outside the courthouse. According to media reports, only journalists and operators from Georgia's First Channel are present at the session.

It is worth recalling that Mikheil Saakashvili was arrested on October 1, after returning to Georgia to support opposition forces in the municipal elections held on October 2. Since the day of his arrest, Saakashvili had declared a hunger strike, which he ended after 50 days. The former president has been sentenced in absentia for assaulting a member of parliament and for organizing the murder of a banker. In addition, he faces charges in several other cases, including embezzling state funds, abuse of power, and illegally crossing the state border.