German lab conclusion rules out poisoning of ex-Interior Minister Merabishvili
Former Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili’s lawyers claim that the current state authorities are hiding information about Merabishvili’s ‘very complicated’ health. Photo: Tabuala.
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The Georgian Ministry of Corrections has published the conclusions of a German lab regarding the health condition of imprisoned former Interior Minister Ivane (Vano) Merabishvili, amid speculations of Marabishvili’s lawyers that the former official has been poisoned in prison.
The ministry says that to “dispel all grounds” for the rumors, Merabishvili’s blood has been checked for heavy metals “and everything turned out to be in order.”
Blood samples were sent to Germany from Tbilisi by the European Linbach Diagnostic Group Mrcheveli.
The ministry also said that over the course of the past three months Merabishvili has undergone treatment at different hospitals in Tbilisi, which were chosen by him.
In mid-September the Ministry of Corrections responded to Merabishvili’s lawyers and made his diagnoses public.
The ministry reported that Merabishvili suffered from vasomotor rhinitis, Horner's syndrome and blepharoconjunctivitis.
Vasomotor rhinitis is inflammation of the membranes inside the nose; Horner's syndrome is a combination of symptoms that arises when a group of nerves called the sympathetic trunk is affected, while blepharoconjunctivitis refers to the irritation and inflammation of eyelids and conjunctiva.
- Merabishvili, one of the most influential figures of the United National Movement, was detained in 2013 and sentenced to five years in prison in 2014 for abuse of power, misspending of budget funds and bribing voters.
- In September 2016 Merabishvili was further sentenced to 6.5 years in prison for charges related to the beating of opposition lawmaker Valeri Gelashvili in 2005.
The Ministry of Corrections has stated today that former Interior Minister Ivane (Vano) Merabishvili has been transported to Mediclub hospital in Tbilisi in the morning for additional blood checks, in order to dispel his lawyers’ speculations that Merabishvili could have been poisoned in prison or that he may have cancer.
Georgia’s former Interior and Prime Minister under the United National Movement leadership Ivane (Vano) Merabishvili was transported to hospital yesterday due to respiratory problems, his lawyers told the media.
The Georgian Justice Ministry says that former Interior and Prime Minister of Georgia under the previous state leadership Ivane Merabishvili was transported to a hospital yesterday for medical checks following earlier treatment, which revealed that the life and health of the former top official is not at risk.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has discussed and accepted a complaint by the Georgian Government to review an earlier decision made by the Court about Georgia's former Prime Minister Ivane (Vano) Merabishvili.
Georgia’s former Interior and Prime Minister Ivane (Vano) Merabishvili is scheduled to leave prison on February 20, 2020.
Former Interior and Prime Minister of Georgia, one of the most influential figures of the United National Movement (UNM) government, Vano Merabishvili left prison earlier today after serving almost seven years, stating that he is returning to politics and ‘guarantees’ the end of the current Georgian Dream leadership. Standing at Matrosovi prison Merabishvili told the media that the opposition is united around key demands. However, his close friends are now in different opposition parties.
Political parties and politicians have given different evaluations to the release of former influential figure Vano Merabishvili from his seven-year imprisonment, as well as his promise given at Matrosovi prison earlier today that the current state government ‘will be overthrown’ by the end of the year. Merabishvili, who served as interior and prime minister under the United National Movement government, has not yet decided which opposition party to join.
Former top figure of the United National Movement (UNM) government Vano Merabishvili, who left prison earlier this year, says that he has ‘no plans to enter parliament or take any governmental post’ after the October parliamentary elections.
One of the leaders of the United National Movement opposition (UNM) Nika Melia says that one of the former most influential figures of the party, former Interior and Prime Minister of Georgia, Vano Merabishvili, will not be on the UNM’s party list for the October 31 parliamentary elections, stating that Merabishvili has no ‘moral right’ to be in politics.
The Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs on Thursday confirmed it had launched an investigation following reports of assault on Vano Merabishvili, one of the most influential figures of the previous United National Movement Government who served as the country’s Interior Minister for almost eight years.