Georgian leader suggests jailed ex-president wear electronic bracelet

Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has said that granting a pardon to ex-President Mikheil Saakashvili is not an issue that will compensate for the damage caused to the country and suggested that he wear an electronic bracelet.

She made the remarks in an interview with French TV channel France 24, according to the Tbilisi-based publication SOVA.

"I think he [Mikheil Saakashvili] should be treated well, and I say this out loud - as many other presidents around the world who have been sentenced to imprisonment are treated. There are electronic bracelets, which we know about, and other forms that are more appropriate for a country that joins the EU," Zourabichvili said.

The Georgian president avoided answering the question of whether she supported a pardon for Saakashvili.

"They are highlighting the damage this whole situation is doing to Georgia's image in the West. I am concerned about that and I am doing a lot to alleviate that situation. But the damage, was caused by the decisions made by the government, and amnesty is not really (an issue) that will make up for this damage," she replied.

Asked whether the president intended to "maintain the status quo", Zourabichvili said she would exercise her right to refrain from giving explanations.

Earlier, Georgian oppositionists rallied for Saakashvili's release in Tbilisi, Interfax reports.

A small but noisy rally of opposition forces demanding Saakashvili's release was held on June 3 in Tbilisi outside the Vivamed clinic, where Saakashvili is currently undergoing treatment.

The protesters demanded that the authorities allow opposition MPs to visit Saakashvili.

Police blocked the entrance to the hospital and set up a cordon, through which no one was allowed to pass.

Levan Khabeishvili, chairman of the opposition United National Movement party, told reporters that rallies demanding Saakashvili's release would be held daily not only in Tbilisi but also in the regions.

After the organisers announced the end of the rally, several dozen participants moved to the windows of Saakashvili's ward and continued chanting "Misha, Misha!"

The ex-president's mother, Giuli Alasania, told journalists that her son's condition remains extremely serious.

"He cannot get out of bed. We hope that doctors from the EU will come to the clinic in the near future," Alasania said.