Saakashvili Transferred Back to Penitentiary from Clinic
By Liza Mchedlidze
Thursday, November 13, 2025
Georgia's third president, Mikheil Saakashvili, has been transferred back to Penitentiary Institution No. 12 after doctors decided he no longer needed hospital treatment, the Penitentiary Service said.
"Since the health condition of the convicted Mikheil Saakashvili is satisfactory and he no longer requires inpatient treatment, he was discharged from the civil sector clinic and returned to Penitentiary Institution No. 12, where he will continue serving his sentence under general rules," the statement said.
Officials explained that such a transfer is carried out based on a doctor's decision, taking into account the prisoner's health. Saakashvili will now remain in prison to continue serving his term.
The move drew sharp criticism from the opposition United National Movement, which Saakashvili founded. Party chairwoman Tina Bokuchava accused the government of worsening the former president's conditions.
"Saakashvili has practically been sentenced to life imprisonment," Bokuchava said. "The only thing left for the regime was to tighten his prison conditions or, in Putin's style, to directly bring him to death."
She claimed the authorities were trying to erase the legacy of the Rose Revolution and punish its leader. "This is the main task of the counter-revolution, the destruction of its symbol," she said, describing the move as part of a broader effort to silence political opponents.
Bokuchava framed the decision as a warning to other pro-Western leaders who are resisting Russian influence. "This is a signal to Zelensky, Sandu, and everyone fighting to free their countries from its grip," she said.
Saakashvili's transfer back to prison, where he is serving a cumulative 12.5-year sentence, comes less than a week after new charges were filed against Saakashvili and other opposition leaders on November 6 for allegedly plotting to overthrow the government.
