Zelenski calls on Western partners to save Saakashvili's life

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed Western partners and said that the former Georgian president and Ukrainian citizen was being "executed" by the Georgian authorities. He was outraged at the state in which the politician was in and said that Ukraine was asking the Georgian ambassador to return to Tbilisi. The Head of State made this statement on Telegram on Monday, 3 July.

We have repeatedly called on official Tbilisi to stop this bullying and agree on Saakashvili's return to Ukraine. Our partners in co-ordination with Ukraine have also offered various options for his rescue. I have today instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the Georgian ambassador to Ukraine, to strongly protest him, and to offer him to leave Ukraine within 48 hours for consultations with his capital," the President said.

He once again called on the Georgian authorities to hand over Saakashvili to Kiev.

I call on our partners not to ignore this situation and to save this man. No government in Europe has the right to execute people; life is a basic European value," the president said.

On 3 July, jailed former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili attended his first court session online since February from the Vivamed clinic. At the same time, he looked extremely exhausted.

Saakashvili is known to have been in detention since his secret return to Georgia on the eve of the 2021 local elections, and his health has recently deteriorated significantly.

Earlier, MEPs expressed concern about former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's deteriorating health and called for him to be pardoned and sent abroad for treatment.