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Ex-Georgian leader Saakashvili vows to continue hunger strike ‘to the bitter end’

The politician has been on a hunger strike for the fourth day in a row

© Pyotr Sivkov/TASS

KIEV, December 11. /TASS/. Former Georgian president, ex-governor of Ukraine’s Odessa and now the leader of the Ukrainian opposition Movement of New Forces Mikhail Saakashvili has pledged to continue his hunger strike "to the bitter end" if he is sent to prison.

"If they put me back in prison, I will be on a hunger strike to the bitter end, but everyone will know who has staged this murder," Saakashvili told reporters at the Pechorsky district court, which will announce a pre-trial restriction measure for him on Monday.

The politician has been on a hunger strike for the fourth day in a row and he seems to like this, the Ukrainskaya Pravda newspaper wrote.

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Saakashvili recalled that Yulia Tymoshenko, the leader of the All-Ukrainian Union Fatherland political party, had gone on her hunger strike for 28 days. "Look at her, everything is OK."

Saakashvili was detained late on December 8 in Kiev on charges of alleged assistance to a criminal organization. Prosecutors want him to be placed under house arrest with the wearing of an electronic bracelet. Saakashvili dismissed the accusations as politically motivated and declared an indefinite hunger strike.

Ten MPs of Ukraine’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, including Tymoshenko, wrote statements earlier on Monday that they were ready to stand surety for the former Georgian leader.

Saakashvili’s lawyers said the politician cannot be a defendant as no charges have been slapped on him. Under the law, the deadline for announcing a pre-trial restriction measure for Saakashvili expires at 23.00 Moscow Time on Monday.

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