A total of 20 NGOs have addressed the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) to observe the human rights situation of former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili who has been on hunger strike in prison for 43 days.
The statement reads that the Gldani No. 18 prison hospital, where the ex-president was transferred against his will on Monday, ‘poses a serious threat in terms of the physical safety’ of Saakashvili, noting that in prison hospital he is not protected from ‘psychological pressure’ as well.
Most prisoners are members of the criminal underworld, while Saakashvili’s office is associated with crackdown on criminals. This increases the risk of physical violence from other prisoners to a maximum degree,” the statement says.
Day 43 of a hunger strike. #FreeSaakashvili
— Mikheil Saakashvili (@SaakashviliM) November 12, 2021
NGOs say that ‘Georgian human rights organisations have been witnessing on a daily basis the inhuman and degrading treatment of Saakashvili.’
The former president claimed that the purpose of his transfer to prison hospital was ‘his physical destruction under Russian president Vladimir Putin’s order,’ claiming that he was verbally and physically abused during the process.
The State Inspector’s Service has launched an investigation into the alleged offence during which Saakashvili was questioned and medically examined.
The Penitentiary Service released a video yesterday depicting the ex-president’s transfer to the prison hospital which was evaluated as ‘violation of prisoner’s right to honour, dignity and privacy’ by Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria.
Strasbourg Court did not satisfy Saakashvili's request on his transfer to private clinic and urged him to call off hunger strike. pic.twitter.com/KgTnRw7Tzm
— Justice Ministry GEO (@Justice_geo) November 11, 2021
Saakashvili stated yesterday that he will stop the hunger strike if he is taken to a multifunctional civil clinic for rehabilitation following the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) interim judgment which urged him to call off his hunger strike.
The ECHR also demanded that the Georgian government inform them about Saakashvili’s health and ensure proper medical care for him now and after his hunger strike. It also ‘decided to give priority to [Saakashvili’s] application.’
NGOs stated that the assessment of the ex-president’s rights condition by ‘international monitoring body would contribute to the respect of human rights in Georgia.’
The signatories of the statement are: