Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili was sentenced to an additional nine years in prison on Wednesday after being found guilty of embezzlement, according to the Interpress news agency. Saakashvili, who led Georgia from 2004 to 2013, was already serving a six-year sentence for abuse of power after his return to the country in 2021. He has spent much of his imprisonment in a prison hospital due to reported health concerns.

The courtroom erupted in chaos following the verdict, with Saakashvili’s supporters accusing the judge of being controlled by the ruling government. Once a widely popular leader who rose to power through the 2003 Rose Revolution, Saakashvili implemented sweeping reforms that aligned Georgia with the West. However, his tenure later became controversial, marred by allegations of authoritarianism, police brutality, and a failed 2008 war with Russia.

After leaving office, Saakashvili moved to Ukraine, where he briefly served as governor of the Odesa region. Despite being convicted in absentia of abuse of power, he returned to Georgia in 2021 and was immediately arrested. His United National Movement party had lost power in 2012 to a coalition led by billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili, who remains Georgia’s de facto leader.

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