I have not seen a ray of sunlight for almost four years. For almost four years now, I have been locked up in a country that I love immensely and sky of which I am no longer allowed to see, and this is my greatest punishment, - the third president, Mikheil Saakashvili, stated remotely during a court session.

In addition, he said that, among them, he is being punished for the fact that together with his own people, together with the armed forces, he saved the statehood of Georgia in 2008.

“I know that a large part of people are very worried. Of course, people, almost all of them, except for a handful of corrupt government officials, everyone else is busy with the problem of earning money every day. You are punishing me for wanting to visit my Batumi that I built, and for driving through Georgia on the highway I built, for entering Georgia through the customs system I built, for visiting my motherland, my beloved Samegrelo, even for a couple of days, for arriving in my native Tbilisi under conditions when you left me no other legal way. Planes were forbidden from taking me on board, and if they did, they would not let me on board, they would redirect me to another country. I had no other way to enter Georgia. Of course, I am being punished for saving the statehood of Georgia together with my people, together with our armed forces, in 2008. I saved Georgia from the worst thing that could happen. I am being punished for having trusted our people, avoiding a major provocation, and peacefully handing over power in 2012," Saakashvili said.

He also expressed solidarity with those arrested at the rally, including journalist Mzia Amaglobeli.