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Georgian opposition supporters demand Saakashvili's release at Tbilisi rally
TBILISI. Feb 20 (Interfax) – Opposition supporters held a rally outside the State Chancellery building in Tbilisi demanding the release of former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
The rally organizers representing the United National Movement opposition party said in a statement that the issue of Saakashvili’s release is directly linked to the incumbent Georgian authorities’ policy to forge closer ties with Russia.
“Russian propagandists together with pro-governmental Georgian media outlets are telling the people of Georgia that it will not mean anything if [former] President Saakashvili is killed in prison, that it will change nothing for our country. However, the main thing will change – we will be denied entry into the European family for decades,” United National Movement chairman Levan Khabeishvili said at the demonstration.
Khabeishvili accused former Georgian Prime Minister, billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili of acting behind the scenes to direct the current Georgian authorities, which Khabeishvili believes are pursuing a policy “to turn Georgia into Russia’s backyard.”
He emphasized the need to confront the current “pro-Russian” authorities and announced a rally of solidarity with Ukraine in the center of Tbilisi on February 24, which “will be attended by 80% of the Georgian population who wish to join the European family.”
Monday’s rally, which involved several hundred people, was not accompanied by any incidents and took place under the surveillance of police.