Foreign governments will wait for the results of these “mock investigations” before deciding how serious the violations are and whether to respond, former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili wrote on social media.

He stressed that the decisive factor is continued civic mobilisation.

“It is encouraging that we have begun submitting appeals to international organisations on a large scale. This does help deter new abuses, but any formal response could take years.

What matters most now is sustained activism and mass protest—not simply relying on foreign governments to intervene. They will wait for the outcomes of these sham inquiries before judging the scope of the violations and determining their actions. If, meanwhile, we step up our efforts here at home, external support will come more quickly.

We must not grow complacent, assuming the West will rescue us; when that help doesn’t arrive immediately, it can lead to disillusionment. We need to act now, and international assistance will follow,” Saakashvili concluded.