Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili sang the Ukrainian national anthem during a court hearing in Tbilisi. The politician, who was inside the defendant's cage, used the moment to express his support for Ukraine, as he stated on his Facebook page.
Saakashvili began the text accompanying the courtroom video in Ukrainian and continued in Georgian.
"I wasn't allowed to wear the uniform of the Armed Forces of Ukraine at this so-called trial, where all the prosecutors are afraid of any display of 'Ukrainian-ness' in a person. I decided to sing the anthem—in a voice that was, to put it mildly, not exactly melodious," the former president shared.
He also addressed the question of why he sang the Ukrainian anthem rather than the Georgian one.
"Firstly, because Ukraine is fighting; secondly, because I am a proud citizen of a fighting Ukraine; and thirdly—and most importantly—it was I who secured the Georgian anthem, 'Freedom,' through struggle and gave it to you, just as I did the flag, and few people know their true value better than I do. But right now, Ukraine needs my support too," Saakashvili explained.
The politician's partner and the mother of his daughter, Georgian singer Sopho Nizharadze, was present at the hearing to show her support. In his post, Saakashvili wryly noted her reaction to his rendition of the anthem.
"Even though I’m the only one in the family without a musical ear, I sang the Ukrainian anthem anyway. I sing so badly that Sopho, who was in the courtroom, gave me a look of deep reproach," he wrote.
On September 19, the Tbilisi City Court held a hearing regarding the case concerning the events of November 7, 2007. At that time, Georgian authorities forcibly dispersed a mass anti-government rally in Tbilisi, and special forces stormed the Imedi TV station, halting its broadcasts. The former president is accused of abuse of office in connection with these events. Saakashvili himself denies the charges.
The politician is already serving sentences for other criminal cases. In March 2025, a court handed down a combined sentence of 12 years and six months, following a new conviction for illegal border crossing and a previously issued nine-year sentence for the embezzlement of state funds. The term is calculated from October 1, 2021—when Saakashvili was detained upon returning to Georgia—meaning he is scheduled to remain in custody until April 1, 2034.
