Justice Ministry offers to transfer imprisoned former President Saakashvili to civilian clinic
Speaking following comments by Saakashvili’s supporters on alleged deterioration of his health in detention, Bregadze said the Government placed life and health of individuals as its priority. Photo:Ministry of Justice.
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The Georgian Justice Ministry has proposed transferring the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili to Vivamedi, a civilian clinic in capital Tbilisi, for medical checks and treatment, Minister Rati Bregadze said after the Government meeting on Tuesday.
Bregadze said the former President was provided with adequate treatment in prison but refused to follow the recommendations and take the full complement of medications.
"Saakashvili has been prescribed medical treatment [in detention], but [...] selectively takes only a certain part of the medication, thus effectively refusing full treatment at his own discretion. Also, he makes food by his own decision and only selectively, thus endangering his own health," the Minister said.
Speaking following comments by Saakashvili’s supporters on alleged deterioration of his health in detention, Bregadze said the Government placed life and health of individuals as its priority.
A group of physicians appointed by the Public Defender published a recent evaluation that said Saakashvili’s health had “further deteriorated” since their previous visit to the Rustavi No. 12 Prison in January. The United National Movement opposition party and family of the imprisoned ex-President have requested Saakashvili be allowed to leave for treatment abroad.
Saakashvili was arrested in Tbilisi last fall 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.
The Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia on Sunday said the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili's health condition in detention was "stable" and he was under 24-hour monitoring of the doctors of its Medical Department.
Georgian Minister of Justice Rati Bregadze on Monday said the country’s former President Mikheil Saakashvili was receiving “proper treatment” in prison, with “all necessary conditions” created by authorities both for ensuring adequate diet and visitor access to the politician.
The Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia on Wednesday rejected media reports on the possible poisoning or intoxication of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili in detention as “targeted" and "defamatory”.
Decisions made by the Prime Minister of Georgia amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine are based on “certain information and evidence”, Minister of Justice of Georgia Rati Bregadze said on Sunday in an interview with Imedi TV.
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has welcomed the proposal by the country’s Justice Ministry to transfer the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili to a civilian clinic for medical examination and treatment on Tuesday.
Georgia’s Justice Ministry on Wednesday called on the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili to accept health services offered to him in detention “without preconditions,” following a list of demands released by the politician as terms for accepting an offer of his transfer to a civilian clinic for medical checks.
Archil Talakvadze, the Vice Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Wednesday said the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili was “not in a position to impose political conditions” in return for accepting the Justice Ministry’s offer to transfer him from prison healthcare to a civilian clinic.
Georgia’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili has been transferred from the No. 12 Prison in the city of Rustavi to the civilian clinic Vivamedi in capital Tbilisi, following an offer for the transfer from the Justice Ministry, made after demands on the matter from Saakashvili’s medical team and members of a part of political opposition.
There is no precedent in Georgia for transferring a convicted prisoner abroad for medical treatment, Justice Minister Rati Bregadze said on Thursday in reference to calls from a part of the political opposition to enable the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili to receive medical service abroad.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chairman of the Committee on Human Rights of the Georgian Parliament, on Friday said the demand from a part of the political opposition for allowing the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili a transfer for medical treatment abroad was “unfounded,” adding the goal of the request was to allow the politician “to evade justice”.