Ex-Pres. Saakashvili’s health, safety “in best interests” of Gov’t - ruling party MP
Anri Okhanashvili, the Head of the Georgian Parliament's Legal Affairs Committee from the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday said the opposition was using the topic of the former President for their “own political goals”. Photo: Parliament press office
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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.
Responding to a meeting involving leaders of the Droa, Girchi-More Freedom and Strategy Agmashenebeli parties at the United National Movement opposition party offices earlier on Thursday to discuss plans to “save” Saakashvili, Okhanashvili claimed the opposition was using the topic of the former President for their “own political goals”.
I do not believe the opposition is interested in or motivated to ensure Saakashvili’s health and safety, because these people, including Elene Khoshtaria [the head of the Droa party], are receiving funds from Russia”, the MP said.
Reacting to recent comments by Peter Stano, the European Union Spokesperson for External Affairs, that the bloc was monitoring Saakashvili’s health matters, Okhanashvili said he “reserved the right to remind everyone” that the former President’s health and safety had been “fully protected” since his arrest in Tbilisi in October 2021.
Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Wednesday said Saakashvili had been offered to invite "any doctor, from any foreign clinic", but he refused to do so due to "different goals".
The former President, who on Thursday said he intended to attend a trial hearing at Tbilisi City Court on Friday over granting him release on medical grounds, has been receiving treatment in the Vivamedi civilian clinic in Tbilisi since May.
In a letter released by his entourage on social media, Saakashvili claimed the trial was about his “life and death”.
In earlier comments, Georgia’s Justice Minister Rati Bregadze 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 clinic.
The reaction came on the heels of claims by Saakashvili’s lawyers and the Georgian-based rehabilitation centre Empathy earlier this month over his “seriously deteriorated health” and an “urgent need” of transferring him abroad for “proper treatment”.
The recent health report by Empathy, which had pointed to more than 20 health issues and raised the potential of “coma and death”, was cited by Saakashvili’s lawyers in their appeal to the court on December 1 to either release Saakashvili or postpone the rest of his sentence.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Vice Prime Minister Thea Tsulukiani on Friday expressed her hope that imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili would stop “self-harming” and resume his normal diet, in response to recent comments by doctors that the former official “eats what he wants and when he wants”, refusing to follow their instructions.
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.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Tuesday said the Government was “not only aware” of its responsibility in relation to developments around the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, but also acting in accordance with the duty.
While the Georgian public should be united to present the country "in the best possible way" for the ongoing European integration, it is “unacceptable” that the “radical wing” of the domestic opposition is “purposefully spreading disinformation" on human rights violations and torture in the country, Justice Minister Rati Bregadze said on Tuesday in comments on the ongoing controversy around the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili.
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.