Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, who was recently detained in the nation after a long period of exile and imprisoned in Rustavi, has declared that he will go on a hunger strike until his demands are granted or "for the rest of his life."

"As you probably know, I went on a hunger strike and I want you to know, I will not stop it under any circumstances until I and the people arrested because of me are released," Saakashvili writes. He also stressed that he refuses "medical assistance in case of loss of consciousness and any medical intervention." Saakashvili said he took drastic measures to induce his supporters to act to "restore freedom and democracy.”

In another letter published on behalf of Saakashvili, he addresses the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky said earlier that Ukraine will fight for the release of Saakashvili, who is a Ukrainian citizen. Saakashvili writes that he "is actually a personal prisoner of Putin" and highly appreciates "Zelensky's principled position on the protection of Ukraine, the entire region and all prisoners of the empire." He also said that he considers Georgia his homeland, but he also loves Ukraine and was glad to provide Zelensky with assistance in reforms.

Saakashvili secretly landed in Georgia a few days before the municipal elections, where he had previously been convicted in absentia on two criminal charges and sentenced to time in prison. He was arrested the day before the polls, on October 1. He embarked on a hunger strike while in prison. The incumbent Georgian Dream party won the first round of elections in Georgia, while Saakashvili's followers came in second. Several major cities, including Tbilisi, will hold second-round mayoral elections, in which Saakashvili's United National Movement candidates hope to win. The date for the second round has been set for October 30th. It is not yet clear whether the opposition is planning any mass actions before this date. The day before, Saakashvili's supporters held a peaceful rally in Rustavi near the prison where he is being held.

Saakashvili is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin's sharpest detractors. A Russian-Georgian military confrontation occurred in 2008 during his presidency. The fighting ended in Russia taking control of Abkhazia and South Ossetia (it formally recognised these territories, which Tbilisi and the overwhelming majority of UN countries consider these regions as Georgian). Saakashvili accused Georgia's present government of assisting Putin. Saakashvili spent the latter years of his life in exile in Ukraine, where he had a falling out with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko but formed close ties with Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Georgian government has denied any collusion with Russia, claiming that Saakashvili was convicted of felonies and not for political purposes.