VIDEO: Saakashvili's Trial Underway; Protest Rally Outside the Court

The situation is escalating outside the court where the trial involving Mikheil Saakashvili is taking place. Periodic clashes with police have erupted, and law enforcement has used pepper spray, resulting in several arrests.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has called on the participants of the rally to refrain from violence and to allow the court session to proceed. "Every instance of law violation will be met with an immediate and lawful response from the police," the statement said.

It is worth noting that Mikheil Saakashvili was arrested on October 1 after returning to Georgia to support opposition forces in the local elections held on October 2. Since the day of his arrest, Saakashvili has been on a hunger strike, which he ended on the 50th day. The former president has been convicted in absentia for assaulting a member of parliament and organizing a banker’s murder. Additionally, he has been charged in several other cases, including misappropriation of state funds, abuse of power, and illegally crossing the country’s border.