On October 1, 2021, the day before Georgia’s local elections, the country’s third president, Mikheil Saakashvili — who had been sentenced in absentia for the assault on MP Valeri Gelashvili and for abuse of power in connection with Sandro Girgvliani’s murder — was arrested in Tbilisi (in the Samgori district) after secretly crossing the border and releasing a series of video messages claiming he had returned. The government initially denied he was in the country.

Immediately after his arrest, Saakashvili declared a hunger strike demanding his release. The first solidarity rally took place on October 4 near Rustavi Prison No. 12. Demonstrations continued in Rustavi and Tbilisi over the following days.

On October 14, a large-scale rally was held in Tbilisi under the slogan #FREEMISHA, demanding the release of the former president. Participants arrived from across the country, while along the Telavi–Vaziani–Gombori highway, government supporters formed a “corridor of protest” holding brooms and shouting insults at the pro-Saakashvili convoy. The ruling party, Georgian Dream, claimed that no more than 15,000 people attended, while the opposition said the number reached 50,000–60,000.

On November 3, opposition politician Elene Khoshtaria began a hunger strike in Parliament demanding Saakashvili’s transfer to a medical facility.

On November 6, activists set up protest tents near Rustavi Prison. That same day, the Penitentiary Service released footage claiming Saakashvili was secretly eating, to discredit his hunger strike. Two days later, on November 8, he was forcibly transferred to Gldani Prison Hospital — a move that sparked further outrage and protests.

On November 19, the 50th day of his hunger strike, Saakashvili was moved to the Gori Military Hospital under the condition that he end his strike. Elene Khoshtaria also ended hers that day.

Support rallies continued through late 2021. On December 21 — Saakashvili’s birthday — the United National Movement (UNM) announced a “mass hunger strike” in solidarity, setting up tents in their party courtyard. They ended the protest on January 1, 2022.

In December 2021, Saakashvili was returned to Gldani Prison, and on May 12, 2022, he was transferred to the private Vivamedi clinic in Tbilisi due to his deteriorating health. His family, human rights organization Empatia, and several opposition politicians repeatedly stated that he required treatment abroad.

On February 6, 2023, the Tbilisi City Court denied the request to postpone or terminate Saakashvili’s sentence, reigniting protests across Georgia.

Within the UNM, frustration grew over what was seen as insufficient efforts to secure his release. On January 30, 2023, Levan Khabeishvili was elected as the new party chairman and announced the creation of a “Free Saakashvili” coordination headquarters. However, by July 8, 2024, Khabeishvili had resigned, as the former president remained imprisoned.

Saakashvili’s family and lawyers continued to call for his release on humanitarian grounds, but President Salome Zurabishvili consistently rejected the idea of pardoning him, repeating: “No — and never.”