UNM Announces Mass Hunger Strike
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Thursday, December 23
A total of 9 tents have been set out on Kakheti Highway close to the central office of the opposition United National Movement (UNM) party with about 300 people on hunger strike, following the announcement of a mass protest demanding ex-president Mikheil Saakashvili’s release on December 21st at a rally in central Tbilisi.
Head of the UNM Nika Melia stated at the rally on Rustaveli Avenue that more than 300 people are joining the protest, noting that “the hunger strike will not end until Saakashvili is released from prison.”
“It's a tough decision, it's a constitutional right, it's a non-violent method of protest, but it's tough. In the process of making these difficult decisions, I may not be able to advise many people and I will not be able to force anyone to take this difficult step, but the more massive it is, the higher the consolidation, the sooner the result will be,” Melia said, emphasizing that they will not tolerate the imprisonment of the third president of the country and hunger strike protest will not stop until Saakashvili is ousted.
According to Melia, the location of the UNM party office was chosen because children shouldn't have to see this during the New Year events on the central streets and he also does not want to interfere with President Zurabishvili in the reconciliation process.
Mikheil Saakashvili called on the hunger strikers demanding his release to be under constant medical supervision and to receive mineral supplements.
“I call on my comrades to be constantly under medical supervision, to take mineral supplements regularly. It was with the help of these mineral supplements, which does not violate the protocol of the famine, that the famous Ukrainian director Anatoly Sentsov, who was captured, endured 120 days of starvation in Russian prisons.
Hopefully, we will not need so much time, because in addition to the hunger strike, other protests are taking place in the country against the background of the complete collapse of the government and such oppression and ridicule of the people. Because of the great injustices that affect every citizen daily,” Saakashvili said, adding that by such self-sacrifice his supporters risk their own life and health to defeat injustice and such sacrifice has defeated the British and Soviet empires.
He also reminded those who see hunger as a ‘marginal’ and ‘ineffective’ form of protest, citing the examples of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Anatoly Sharanshki.
Among the protesters are members of the UNM, including Nika Melia, Giorgi Baramidze, Akaki Minashvili, Giorgi Botkoveli and civil activists.
Opposition MP Levan Ioseliani from the Citizens party responded to the issue and noted that it is ‘impossible for a person to be released from prison because of someone else’s hunger.’
Georgian Dream MP Sozar Subari said the UNM’s action is ‘pointless,’ adding that ‘it would be good if they returned to the political process.’ GD member Beka Davituliani also thinks the protest ‘won’t change anything,’ calling the demand of the protesters ‘utopian.’
The former president was convicted in absentia on two counts of abuse of power and sentenced to six years in prison. He faces additional charges including illegal seizure of property, embezzlement, illegal rally dispersal, and illegal border crossing.
