Calls for the proper treatment of Saakashvili has grown over the past several days as the reports of his incrementally worsened health emerged. The United National Movement (UNM) plans to hold protest rallies in front of the Rustavi prison and in Batumi demanding that Mikheil Saakashvili be transferred abroad for medical treatment. According to the UNM, the rallies will start near Rustavi Fortress at 15:00 and in front of the Batumi University at 19:00. The protesters will be demanding the immediate transfer of Mikheil Saakashvili to a specialised medical facility recommended by experts abroad, therefore stopping the political persecution, torture, and inhuman treatment of Saakashvili.

On May 5th Nika Melia, the chairman of the United National Movement, said at a rally in support of Mikheil Saakashvili that the former president is in Putin's captivity and, unfortunately, the process of freeing him from captivity is not short, but he will definitely be released. "I have a specific plan with my party, my supporters, a strategy that we will consistently follow" added Melia.

According to Elene Khoshtaria, the leader of the Droa party, the government has a purposeful, cynical, sadistic attitude of revenge towards Mikheil Saakashvili. "If the value of human health and life is not protected, we will not have a country or a society at all," Khoshtaria stated at a rally in central Tbilisi held on May 5th in support of Saakashvili.

The rally followed similar protest held on May 4th in front of the Presidential Administration building in the older part of Tbilisi. The protesters had several demands, including the transfer of the former president to a medical facility abroad, because they think that he will not be treated properly in Georgia. Protesters also demanded that Salome Zourabichvili pardon Saakashvili and use all the levers that the country's president has.

In recent days, the discussion on Saakashvili officially pledging to renounce his political ambitions is underway. A few days before, United National Movement Secretary-General Petre Tsiskarishvili said that Saakashvili was "probably ready" to step down from Georgian politics if he was to be sent abroad for medical treatment. This was however denied laterby Levan Khabeishvili, one of the leaders of the United National Movement, who added that the former president would not leave political life under any circumstances if his health condition allows it.

Calls for proper treatment of Saakashvili has grown over the past several days as the reports of his incrementally worsened health emerged. US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan, who was in Ozurgeti as part of celebrations on the 30th anniversary of Georgian-US diplomatic relations, said in a conversation with the Georgian media that the US is closely monitoring the process and fully trust the recommendations of the Public Defender. The ambassador also called on the Georgian government to take the ombudsman's recommendations seriously. "We have full confidence in the ombudsman's office, which monitors Mr Saakashvili's health, and we urge the Georgian government to take the ombudsman's recommendations very seriously," said Degnan.