Ex-pres. Saakashvili “self-harming”, not following doctors’ instructions - Justice Minister
Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Tuesday alleged a “radical” wing of the opposition planned to exert pressure on a judge during a trial hearing involving former President Mikheil Saakashvili. Photo: Justice Ministry press office
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The imprisoned former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili is engaged in “self-harm”, refusing to follow doctors’ instructions, and eating “only what he wants and when he wants”, Justice Minister Rati Bregadze told Imedi TV on Tuesday.
Responding to recent claims by Saakashvili’s lawyers and the domestic rehabilitation centre Empathy over his “seriously deteriorated health” and an “urgent need” of transferring him abroad for “proper treatment”, the Minister expressed his “suspicion” that Saakashvili and his “close entourage” may “not be interested in [actual] recovery [of his health condition]”.
Commenting on the appeal of Saakashvili’s lawyers to the domestic court on Thursday to either grant his release on medical grounds or postpone the serving of the rest of his sentence, Bregadze stressed the “radical wing” of the domestic opposition was trying to “exert pressure” on the judge, with the trial scheduled on Friday.
He said the “radical politicians” were “warning” the judge of upcoming rallies, courthouse demonstrations and other actions through opposition-minded TV channels to “hamper his activities and achieve the illegal release” of the former official.
Saakashvili has been receiving treatment in the Vivamedi civilian clinic since May 12. Photo: hticenters.com.
The law defines procedures for postponement of sentence, and it is the right [of any individual] to address the court. A judge delivers a verdict based on evidence. However, we see very simple and cheap tricks from the radical opposition. They are trying to put pressure on a judge in all possible ways, including using televisions and various media”, the Minister said, adding “exerting pressure on a judge is unacceptable in any democratic state”.
In response to a health report released by the Empathy centre last week that said Saakashvili could face “coma or death” due to more than 20 health issues, Zurab Chkhaidze, the Director of the Vivamedi civilian clinic where the former official has been receiving treatment since May 12, said the patient “eats when he wants. He refuses to eat, rather than being unable to eat”.
A separate examination on Saakashvili’s health by a group of professionals assembled by the country’s Public Defender, published on Tuesday, pointed to cachexia - a hypercatabolic state associated with chronic diseases - as its diagnosis.
The report also said Saakashvili had lost 42 kg, and was suffering from restriction of movement, decrease in energy, sensitivity disorder, raised body temperature, deterioration of memory and change in behaviour.
Former President chaired the Executive Committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council before his arrest in Tbilisi in October 2021. Photo: Netgazeti.
Nika Melia, the incumbent Chair of the United National Movement opposition party - the largest opposition group founded by Saakashvili and in Government between 2004-2012 - called for a party meeting on Wednesday to discuss a “strategy” for the trial as the date for the latter was announced.
There is nothing more important than promoting this process with our unity and cooperation both with each other and with the [legal] defence side and Saakashvili's family”, Melia said in his social media post on Tuesday.
In his previous comments, Georgia’s Justice Minister had stressed Saakashvili’s rights were being “fully protected” in detention facilities, from the Rustavi No.12 prison - where he was initially placed - to the hospital of the Gldani No.18 prison - where he was moved in early November last year - as well as the Gori Military Hospital - where he was transferred in late November - and finally at the Vivamedi civilian clinic, where he has been receiving treatment since May 12.
Saakashvili, a citizen of Ukraine, was arrested in Tbilisi in October 2021 on his clandestine return to Georgia ahead of municipal elections.
The former president is serving a six-year term for abuse of power in two separate cases stemming back to his time in office, while three other cases are pending.
Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Monday said authorities were “doing their utmost” to ensure the health of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili in detention.
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.
Lawyers of Mikheil Saakashvili, the imprisoned former president of Georgia, on Thursday appealed to Tbilisi City Court for granting his release on medical grounds, citing a new report by a domestic rehabilitation centre that pointed to potential “coma and death” for the former official in detention.
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.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday said the imprisoned former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili had been offered by Justice Minister Rati Bregadze to invite “any doctor from any country” for his medical treatment, but the aim of Saakashvili’s lawyer was to release him from custody on the medical grounds and not to heal him in Georgia.
Anri Okhanashvili, the Head of the Georgian Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said the health and safety of imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili was “in the best interests” of the Government.
A trial hearing in Tbilisi City Court on granting the release of imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili on medical grounds or postponing the rest of his sentence has been postponed from Friday to Wednesday.
Georgia’s Vice Prime Minister Thea Tsulukiani on Sunday urged the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili to “better cooperate” with medical professionals working to ensure his well-being, adding a change in attitude would be “important for his own health”.
The Georgian Government is responsible for ensuring all basic rights of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, including his right to proper treatment, Voice of America cited the United States Department of State as saying on Monday.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Wednesday said it was “important” that the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili cooperated with the medical staff and the domestic penitentiary system, in his remarks over the latest developments around the former official’s health and sentence.
Shalva Papuashvili, the Speaker of the Georgian Parliament, on Thursday criticised the “domestic and foreign friends” of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili for what he called their “efforts against justice” in the ongoing controversy over the former official’s conditions in detention.
Georgia’s Vice Prime Minister Thea Tsulukiani on Tuesday said concerns voiced by Pawel Herczynski, the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, over the allegedly deteriorated health of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili were “surprising and groundless”.
Zurab Chkhaidze, the Clinical Director of the Vivamedi clinic in Tbilisi, on Tuesday rejected claims by family members and lawyers of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili who said the latter was in “urgent need” of treatment in an intensive care unit.
Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Wednesday called on everyone to stop “politicising” the execution of justice and “supporting” the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s “self-harm”.
The Georgian Special Penitentiary Service on Wednesday rejected claims by the family and legal team of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili that said he was “unable to move” due to the allegedly worsening health condition, and released footage from the clinic where the former official is receiving treatment to disprove the statement.
Irakli Kadagishvili, the Chair of the Rules and Procedural Issues Committee of the Parliament of Georgia, on Thursday said “all international organisations” should call on the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili to “abandon the policy of self-harm” in detention.