US Ambassador on Saakashvili: we are closely monitoring his condition
Ambassador Degnan urged the Georgian voters and supporters of political parties to stay calm, noting that ‘I hope that supporters will allow voters to come out on a Saturday in a calm environment to cast their votes.’ Photo: US Embassy in Georgia.
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US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly C. Degnan says that she is glad a multidisciplinary team is monitoring former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili in prison, noting that the US is also closely observing his condition.
Saakashvili, who has been on hunger strike since his arrest in Tbilisi on October 1, refused to receive ‘all hunger-related treatment’ yesterday except non-starvation-related medicines after his Ukrainian lawyer Evgen Grushovets was denied entry to Georgia.
Saakashvili, who served as the country’s third president from 2004 to 2013, refuses to be treated in the prison hospital due to ‘serious safety concerns’ and demands to undergo treatment in a civil hospital, however, Justice Minister Rati Bregadze states that the prison hospital is fully equipped and there is no need for Saakashvili’s transfer elsewhere.
He faces several criminal charges and has been sentenced to six years imprisonment in two cases in absentia back in 2018.
Municipal election run-offs
Ambassador Degnan also touched upon the municipal election run-offs which will take place in two days and stated that she hopes Georgians ‘will be able to have confidence in the outcome of these elections.’
I sincerely hope that Georgian voters who are voting for their officials to get to work on behalf of their country will make their voices heard,” said Ambassador Degnan.
Local self-government election run-offs are scheduled for October 30 in 20 of 64 constituencies of Georgia including all five large cities of the country - Tbilisi, Kutaisi, Rustavi, Batumi and Poti. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
Candidates of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party and the largest opposition United National Movement (UNM) party will compete in 17 of the 20 election constituencies.
Ruling party’s assembly ahead of election run-offs
Ambassador Degnan also spoke of the pro-ruling party rally which took place yesterday in central Tbilisi and said that ‘it’s a little risky’ to have big rallies when coronavirus cases soar in the country referring to ‘any political party.’
This doesn’t seem like a good time to be bringing large groups of people together. That said, there’s a constitutional right to gather, to assemble, to express your views peacefully and the key word here is peacefully,” said Ambassador Degnan.
She urged the Georgian voters and supporters of political parties to stay calm, noting that ‘I hope that supporters will allow voters to come out on a Saturday in a calm environment to cast their votes.’