New glass wall erected in a prison room as Saakashvili ‘constantly violated’ Covid rules

The Georgian Special Penitentiary Service says that they have been forced to erect a new glass wall in a room where former president Mikheil Saakashvili was meeting with his lawyers, as ‘both Saakashvili and his lawyers were constantly violating coronavirus guidelines.’ 

The statement comes on the heels of Saakashvili’s recent allegations that his communication with lawyers has been restricted and that he was unable to hand his letters to them.

The Special Penitentiary Service said that Saakashvili, ‘who refuses to wear a facemask’, used to stand on a table and hand documents to his lawyers over a glass wall, while his lawyers ‘have never presented a negative PCR test from the preceding 72 hours, which is mandatory to see a defendant.’ 

The agency also stated that Saakashvili’s behaviour could also damage the glass wall and create threats to himself and others. The new glass wall is up to the ceiling and papers cannot be exchanged beyond it.

Saakashvili, who has been on hunger strike for 28 days, says that he will not accept any medical care until ‘communication with his lawyers is fully restored.’ 

The Special Penitentiary Service says that Saakashvili, as earlier, is able to give any document to the prison administration and they will give them to his lawyers. 

As of today, his lawyers have visited Saakashvili 57 times, while 104 visits have been recorded with Saakashvili since his arrest (on October 1),” said the agency.  

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has once again accused Saakashvili of ‘staging a show’ with his hunger strike and that the former president is trying to be transported to a civil clinic. 

• PM Garibashvili: UNM, an evil force, must end

He stated that Saakashvili’s rights and those of every other prisoner are ‘ensured today, unlike the times of the United National Movement (UNM) government, when prisoners ‘were raped and tortured.’ 

Saakashvili returned to Georgia just ahead of the country’s October 2 municipal elections after eight years in political exile. 
PM Garibashvili claims he did so ‘to stage a coup and kill people […] but he was arrested.’