Saakashvili to stop hunger strike if taken to civil clinic for rehabilitation

The imprisoned former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, who claims to be on a hunger strike, has released a letter from Gldani prison hospital, saying that he will stop the hunger strike if he is taken to a multifunctional civil clinic for rehabilitation.

Saakashvili said that he decided to call off his hunger strike after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) urged him to do so.

The process of rehabilitation after starvation is much more complicated than the process of starvation management... I ask the doctors concilium to decide which multifunctional and high-tech clinics and under what treatment conditions I will be provided with during the post-starvation rehabilitation process, he wrote

• Opposition welcomes ECHR monitoring Saakashvili’s hunger strike

The former president further addressed the opposition Droa party leader Elene Khoshtaria, who has been on a hunger strike in solidarity with Saakashvili, to call off her hunger strike.

I would like to address Elene Khoshtaria, with the greatest respect and gratitude, for her last day's heroic and patriotic behavior, and urge her, on the basis of my decision, to immediately stop the hunger strike which is dangerous to her health, he added.

• Opposition leader Khoshtaria on hunger strike: I’ll only accept medical care to prevent death

Khoshtaria assessed Saakashvili's decision to call of his hunger strike as the 'right step to de-escalate the situation.' However, Khoshtaria maintains that she will only end her hunger strike when her demand is met.

My response to @SaakashviliM’s decision:

The third President took the right step to de-escalate the situation in the face of provocation after provocation. I will only end my hunger-strike once my one & only request is met - the govt transfers Saakashvili to a civic hospital.

— Helen Khoshtaria (@Helenkhosh) November 11, 2021