Georgia’s former President Saakashvili is sentenced to nine more years in prison for embezzlement.  

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**Former Georgian President Sentenced Additional 9 Years in Prison**

Mikheil Saakashvili, the former , has been sentenced to an additional nine years in prison for embezzling funds. A Tbilisi court found Saakashvili guilty of misappropriating $5.4 million from the state budget between 2009 and 2013.

**Charges and Convictions**

The judge convicted Saakashvili of using state money for personal expenses, including luxury hotels, cosmetic procedures, and designer clothing. Teimuraz Janashia, a former head of the Special Guard Service, was also fined $108,000 for abuse of office. Both men denied the charges, claiming they were politically motivated.

**Background**

Saakashvili served as president from 2004 to 2007 and again from to 2013. He sought to take Georgia a pro-Western path but lost elections to the Moscow-friendly Georgian Dream party in 2012. Saakashvili has been imprisoned since returning to Georgia in 2021.

**International Reactions**

The of Human Rights ruled that there were no grounds to believe that Saakashvili’s trial was unfair. Ukraine President Zelensky expressed concern over Saakashvili’s deteriorating health while in prison. Saakashvili holds Ukrainian citizenship and has accused a of orchestrating his prosecution on Moscow’s orders.

**Current Situation**

The sentencing comes amid mass protests in Tbilisi over disputed . Western countries have imposed sanctions on Georgia for perceived .

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