Imprisoned ex-pres. Saakashvili dismisses lawyer’s claims over poisoning
Mikheil Saakashvili was arrested in Tbilisi in October 2021, after eight years in political exile. Photo: IPN
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Mikheil Saakashvili, the imprisoned former president of Georgia, on Monday dismissed claims by his lawyer Valeri Gelbakhiani over his alleged poisoning while in custody, stating he had “never” told any of his lawyers he had suspected poisoning had triggered his current “complicated health”.
Expressing gratitude to health professionals for support, Saakashvili said in his social media post his health had been getting “worse over the past two months” and noted doctors in the Vivamedi civilian clinic in Tbilisi, where he was transferred for treatment in May, had been doing “their best” to ensure proper care.
It is important to trust professionals and there is no need to over-politicise this topic”, Saakashvili said.
Speaking to Interpressnews on Saturday, Gelbakhiani claimed poisoning had been suspected by Saakashvili and pointed out by invited foreign professionals in their recent report.
In response to the allegations, the special penitentiary service on Sunday said it had not been provided with any official report confirming the lawyer’s claims, and added the former president had been provided with “all necessary” medical services.
Justice minister Rati Bregadze said on Sunday his body would address Levan Samkharauli National Forensics Bureau over the claims of Saakashvili's lawyer. Photo: justice ministry press office .
The agency also called on the public to refrain from spreading “unverified and unsubstantiated” information in order to “prevent misinformation”.
Justice minister Rati Bregadze on Sunday said his body would address the domestic Forensics Bureau on Monday for a toxicological examination on Saakashvili and provide the public with “complete and comprehensive information”.
Saakashvili was arrested in Tbilisi in October 2021 after his clandestine return to Georgia. Currently he is serving his six-year term for two separate abuse of power cases while in office, with three other cases involving his term pending.
His lawyers and family members have claimed the former president is in “urgent need” of treatment abroad, adding local professionals had been “unable” to make “accurate diagnosis and ensure relevant treatment” for months.
The special penitentiary service on Sunday said it had not been provided with any official report, confirming the authenticity of information disseminated by the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili’s lawyer about the possible poisoning of the prisoner.
British medical expert Cornelius Katona on Tuesday visited the convicted former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili in a Tbilisi clinic following claims by Saakashvili’s lawyers and family about his deteriorated health.
The trial of the jailed Georgia’s former president Mikheil Saakashvili in the case of illegal crossing of the state border, set to have been held on Tuesday at the Vivamed clinic, was postponed, the prosecutor of the mentioned case Levan Vepkhvadze said, explaining Saakashvili had refused to testify and said he had “nothing to discuss” with the court.
Georgia's imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili is leaving the United National Movement opposition party and Georgian politics as “his agenda has changed” and taking care of own health has become his main task, lawyer Valeri Gelbakhiani announced on Saturday.
Georgian president Salome Zourabaichvili told BBC HARDTalk on Monday she had “no power” to pardon the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili, who, along with his lawyers and some opposition figures, has claimed to be suffering from serious health issues in detention.
Kakha Kaladze, the mayor of Tbilisi and the secretary general of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said a decision on whether to offer a pardon to the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili was for the current president Salome Zourabichvili to make, but added his position was that “everyone must answer for crimes committed”.
Georgian president Salome Zourabichvili on Thursday said domestic courts should allow the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakshvili’s transfer abroad for medical treatment if the anticipated report by health professionals studying his condition established ”serious complications”.
Thea Tsulukiani, the vice prime minister and former minister of justice of Georgia, on Friday urged president Salome Zourabichvili to refrain from making “any calls” to domestic courts over the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili, saying it could be seen as interference in judicial developments around the former official.
Georgian justice minister Rati Bregadze on Tuesday said the government was offering the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili to bring “any doctor from any foreign clinic” and involve them in his treatment in Georgia.
Georgia’s justice minister Rati Bregadze on Tuesday called claims about poisoning of the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili a “slanderous campaign” and said the allegations were “immoral” and an “interference” in the work of medical professionals working to ensure his health.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the chair of the Georgian parliament's committee on human rights, on Monday said “psychological intolerance” to detention environment was “not a reason” for granting individuals release from prison, pointing out the information made public on diagnoses and health condition of the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili was “not enough” to warrant his transfer abroad for treatment.
Giuli Alasania, the mother of the imprisoned former president of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, on Thursday said his son was not accusing the Georgian government of poisoning him in detention, and believed “traces” originating in a “foreign state” could be related to his medical condition.
Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Committee on Human Rights, on Tuesday said the opposition United National Movement party was trying to help the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili avoid having to serve the rest of his sentence and "running a PR campaign" for the purpose.
The Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia on Monday said the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili had refused a toxicological examination offered by the body in November, in response to claims of his lawyers over the former official’s alleged poisoning.
Malkhaz Urtkmelidze, the Head of the Medical Department of Georgia’s Special Penitentiary Service, on Wednesday said the conclusions of a medical study on the condition of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili rejected the possibility of poisoning of the former official.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Thursday said the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and his entourage “must come to terms with the reality” that the former official will “have to serve his sentence”, in comments on the ongoing controversies related to the former official’s health.
Zurab Chkhaidze, the Clinical Director of Vivamedi clinic in Tbilisi, on Thursday rejected claims by the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and his legal team that said he had suffered “several blackout episodes” over the past several days due to “very complicated” health condition.
Georgia’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili has lost his appeal for release or postponement of the rest of his sentence on health grounds, with Tbilisi City Court on Monday denying the application in the case that has been surrounded by public debate.
Georgia’s imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili is only taking a “quarter to a third” of his necessary daily calorie intake in contradiction to efforts of professionals at the civilian clinic where he is undergoing treatment, doctors of the clinic said on Wednesday.