Coward Saakashvili, who put Georgia in this situation, who was crawling on the ground in 2008, cannot give me any remarks, cannot and will not call me a traitor! - Former Prime Minister of Georgia Zurab Noghaideli told journalists after the end of the trial.

He testified in the case of the third President of Georgia, Mikheil Saakashvili, and other former high-ranking officials. It was at this hearing that Saakashvili and Noghaideli confronted each other. The former president asked him questions about his meeting with Putin in Russia in 2009 and called him a traitor.

When journalists asked what he talked about with Putin, Noghaideli replied that "relations between Georgia and Russia."

"Relations between Georgia and Russia. You have heard this a hundred times," Noghaideli said.

In response to the journalist’s remark that this was precisely what Saakashvili considered a betrayal, the former prime minister said that he had said what he thought about him in the session hall.

“I told him in the session hall what I think about him. Coward Saakashvili, who put Georgia in this situation, who was crawling on the ground in 2008, cannot give me any remarks, cannot and will not call me a traitor!” Noghaideli said.

When asked why he went to meet with Putin after the war, the former prime minister said, “This is not the main issue today.”

When asked by a journalist that the Georgian people perceive the meeting with Putin as a betrayal, he replied, “They don’t.”

When asked whether he still believes that relations with Russia should be normalized, Noghaideli gave a positive answer.

"They must be regulated.... Your opinion is not interesting, do you think you represent society?" - Noghaideli addressed the journalist.

He spoke about his visits to Russia at today's trial as well. After being questioned by the lawyer, Noghaideli clarified that he had met with Putin 4-5 times.

For information, the state indictment charges Mikheil Saakashvili with the mass crackdown on protesters on November 7, 2007, the raid on the Imedi TV company, and the criminal seizure of property belonging to Badri Patarkatsishvili.

The former president of Georgia is charged under Part 3 of Article 333 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which refers to abuse of official authority, which resulted in a substantial violation of the rights of an individual or legal entity, society, or the legitimate interests of the state. The aforementioned charge provides for a term of imprisonment of 5 to 8 years as a form and measure of punishment.

Along with Saakashvili, the defendants in the case are Vano Merabishvili, Zurab Adeishvili, Davit Kezerashvili, and Gigi Ugulava.