In his first public appearance following his surprise return to the country, arrest, and hunger strike, the ex-president brushed off the charges against him and issued an expansive defense of his time in power.
The dispute over where the former Georgian president should be treated became sharper as he briefly lost consciousness as a result of his hunger strike.
Uzbekistan has been discussed as the most likely contender to accept some sort of U.S. military presence, even as Tashkent consistently denies the possibility.