Georgia’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili is not a political prisoner and should be held accountable for actions during his presidency, Aleko Elisashvili, the Chairperson of the Citizens opposition party, said on Tuesday.
Elisashvili’s comments follow a fresh discussion on health conditions of, and care received by, Saakashvili in detention over the recent weeks. The Citizens party leader said “full medical care” should be ensured for the former President, but noted a need for judicial accountability for past actions.
I think Saakashvili is not a political prisoner - he committed such things during his presidency that he should be held accountable for, whether it’s beating a MP and then ousting him from the Parliament, or a whole chain of crimes against Girgvliani,” the opposition MP said, referring to the case of Valeri Gelashvili, a former opposition MP who was brutally beaten in 2005, and the 2006 killing of Sandro Girgvliani with the involvement of high-level state officials of the then-ruling United National Movement party under Saakashvili’s presidency.
On April 22, the Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia said media reports on the alleged deterioration of the health condition of Saakashvili and claims of inadequate medical care provided to him in prison were “unfounded” and an “attempt to mislead the public”.
Saakashvili was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1 after his clandestine return to Georgia. He had been found guilty of abuse of power in two cases in absentia in 2018 and faces additional charges including illegal seizure of property, embezzlement, illegal rally dispersal and illegal border crossing.