US, EU embassies point at gov’t responsibility for Saakashvili’s rights

US Ambassador Kelly Degnan and EU Ambassador Carl Hartzell have called on the Georgian government to provide proper medical care for the imprisoned ex-president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili.

Saakashvili, who was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1 after a clandestine return from eight years in political exile, considers himself a ‘political prisoner’ and claims to be on a hunger strike.

The former president, who was serving his sentence in Rustavi Prison No.12, was transferred to Gldani prison hospital last evening to ‘prevent deterioration in his health due to increased risks,' the penitentiary service reported.

• Saakashvili: purpose of my transfer is my physical destruction under Putin’s order

Degnan said that the US 'remains concerned' about Saakashvili's well-being, and urged the government to protect his health and safety.

In any country, the government has a responsibility to protect inmates from abuse, including mental abuse, as well as providing for their medical well-being and their safety. So, again we urge the government to please ensure that Mr. Saakshvili is immediately provided with the medical and mental healthcare that he needs in a fully equipped medical facility, she told the press.

Hartzell noted that the EU is closely monitoring Saakashvili in prison, and the Georgian authorities should make 'every effort to fully uphold' the former president's rights.

These [Saakashvili's] rights include the right to stand trial in transparent, fair and due judicial proceedings and the right to adequate healthcare as well as privacy and dignity whilst in prison, he added.

The ambassadors further expressed their support for the Ombudswoman Nino Lomjaria, who is frequently criticised by the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party members.

Degnan maintained that the Georgian Public Defender's office deserves to be 'commended not criticized,' while Hartzell referred to the Ombudswoman as the EU's 'trusted local partner.

• Ombudswoman: medical equipment recommended by doctors' council not available in hospital where Saakashvili was transferred

Lomjaria, who visited Saakashvili in prison hospital, said that the former president thought he would be transferred to civil hospital rather than a prison clinic. She added that the penitentiary medical centre was not equipped with medical devices recommended by the medical council that monitored Saakashvili's health.