"He is leaving Georgian politics altogether, [and] not only the United National Movement, now it is the matter of life and death, not of politics," Gelbakhiani told reporters.
According to the lawyer, Saakashvili is not interested in politics anymore and his main task right now is to take care of his health and save himself from "a possible danger, death."
Saakashvili was the president of Georgia for two consecutive terms from 2004 to 2013 and was barred from seeking a third term under the Georgian constitution. Shortly after the end of his term, Saakashvili left the country. He actively supported Ukraine's Euromaidan in 2014 and 2015 and was appointed the governor of Ukraine's Odesa region after receiving Ukrainian citizenship.
Saakashvili was put in jail on October 1 last year, shortly after returning to Georgia, where he was wanted on several charges, including abuse of power, stealing public money, and ordering a crackdown on a peaceful rally. He is serving a six-year sentence.