Mikheil Saakashvili, the third President of Georgia, sends a letter from Rustavi Penitentiary Establishment No. 12.

“When I left everything in Kiev and arrived, I knew that I would most likely be detained. I would be arrested on the basis of completely fabricated false verdicts, which were delivered including at the behest of [Vladimer] Putin.

No country in the world recognizes this verdict except Russia, but I still came because I believe in my country and each of you. I would very much like to ask you all to go to the polls so that not a single vote is lost, and after that we will all defend the results of the referendum together.

My freedom and, more importantly, the freedom of Georgia depends entirely on your turnout and fight ability in the coming days. International support also depends on this. Please do not hesitate and believe that our victory is in our own hands”, - writes Mikheil Saakashvili.