Saakashvili considers himself a prisoner of war and asks Kyiv to exchange him 0 5

Former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, currently in custody, has appealed to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to include him in the list of civilian prisoners of the Russo-Ukrainian war and to exchange him if possible. In his appeal, he noted that he is a citizen of Ukraine and previously worked in the National Reform Council under Zelensky's leadership.

"I know that Ukrainians do not abandon their own, and I am counting on you," Saakashvili stated.

In 2015, the former President of Georgia obtained Ukrainian citizenship by decree of the previous President Poroshenko, when he appointed him head of the Odessa Regional Administration. However, two years later, the relationship between Poroshenko and Saakashvili soured, and the Ukrainian president suspended the decree granting Saakashvili citizenship. At that time, Saakashvili was also banned from entering Ukrainian territory until 2021.

Shortly after his election as President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky restored Saakashvili's Ukrainian citizenship in May 2019 and appointed him head of the Executive Committee for Reforms.

In September 2021, Saakashvili returned to Georgia, which was then ruled by the pro-Russian party "Georgian Dream." He was immediately detained and soon convicted on several criminal charges. According to the sentences handed down to him, he must remain in custody until April 1, 2034.

On November 6, 2025, the Georgian authorities reported that a new criminal case had been opened against Saakashvili under the article on calls for the overthrow of state power. According to the investigation, the imprisoned politician allegedly called on his supporters for "struggle and aggressive resistance" and to seize government buildings and "overthrow the regime" using his social media pages and video addresses.

In November, Saakashvili was also transferred from the clinic where he was being treated after poisoning back to prison. Ukrainian authorities have repeatedly urged Georgia to transfer Saakashvili for treatment in Kyiv. Saakashvili himself wrote a letter to Zelensky back in 2021, calling himself "effectively a personal prisoner of Putin."

"I love my Georgia more than life itself, but I also love Ukraine, my second homeland, where I have spent many years of my life and where I have family and friends, and citizenship that I value greatly. I will always be proud of having the opportunity to make my modest contribution to the historic changes and reforms you are making. Since I am effectively a personal prisoner of Putin, I highly appreciate your principled position on defending Ukraine, the entire region, and all prisoners of the empire," he said.