The Georgian Ministry of Justice refused to allow Saakashvili to attend the funeral of Ilia II.

The Georgian Ministry of Justice's Penitentiary Service found no grounds for third Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili to attend the funeral of Patriarch Ilia II.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported that national mourning was declared in Georgia in connection with the death of Patriarch Ilia II on March 17.

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili's request to attend the funeral of Catholicos-Patriarch Ilia II does not fall under the exceptional circumstances under which prisoners can leave penitentiary institutions, the Special Penitentiary Service of the Georgian Ministry of Justice stated.

"The lawyer for the third Georgian President made a request on his behalf, but it does not comply with the norms stipulated by the Code," Novosti quotes a representative of the agency as saying. Georgia."

In Georgia, temporary release of prisoners is permitted only in limited circumstances: for the funeral of a loved one, the birth of a child, or for health reasons. These measures are formally authorized by the prison service and are usually valid for a very short period.

Saakashvili requested an exception, citing his status as the third president, as well as his personal friendship with Ilia II and the fact that he is the godfather of his youngest son, the publication says.

"I asked my lawyer to write a statement requesting that I be taken to the funeral of the Patriarch, as his friend, the third president of Georgia," Saakashvili previously reported on his social media page, according to Interpressnews.

According to the decision of the Holy Synod, His Holiness will be buried in the Sioni Cathedral, not in the courtyard, but inside the church. The funeral will take place on March 22, Georgia Online reported.

As "Caucasian Knot" reported, on March 12, the Tbilisi City Court sentenced Mikhail Saakashvili was sentenced to nine years in prison after being found guilty of embezzlement of budget funds. This charge was brought against Saakashvili back in 2014. At the hearing, the Penitentiary Service presented a certificate stating that Saakashvili did not wish to participate in the trial remotely and requested that the hearing be postponed until he recovered. Saakashvili returned to Georgia in the fall of 2021 and was arrested, having been sentenced in absentia to three years in a case of abuse of power during the pardon of convicts. In March 2024, opposition members collected more than 150,000 signatures in a petition to pardon Mikheil Saakashvili. Saakashvili faced three to five years in prison for illegally crossing the border. He refused to participate in the court hearing. The court sentenced him to 4.5 years in prison.