Saakashvili's arrest extended in border crossing case

The Tbilisi City Court ruled to leave former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili in pretrial custody during an investigation into a criminal case on an illegal border crossing in 2021.

The court dismissed objections from Saakashvili's defense lawyers arguing that, apart from this criminal investigation, Saakashvili is serving a six-year prison term in line with previous convictions.

The court is expected to hand down its ruling on the latest case soon.

Saakashvili secretly arrived in Georgia from abroad on September 29, 2021. He was detained in Tbilisi on October 1 and then put in jail in Rustavi. On May 12, 2022, Saakashvili was moved to the Vivamedi clinic in Tbilisi, where he is currently staying.