Justice Minister: "radical" opposition "purposefully spreading disinformation" on human rights violation, torture
A trial hearing at Tbilisi City Court on granting Saakashvili the release on medical grounds or posponing the rest of his sentence will be held on Wednesday after being postponed from Friday due to technical issues with ensuring his participation via a video link. Photo: Justice Ministry
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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.
In an interview with Rustavi 2 channel, Bregadze said his body would "do its best to protect" citizens and the country "from disinformation and manipulations" over the state of Saakashvili’s health, which he said was being released by the latter's lawyers and the "radical opposition" over the recent days. The Minsiter claimed a “manipulative campaign" had been directed "against the state" and aimed at “damaging the image” of Georgia in the process.
I will remind the public once again that Saakashvili is engaged in self-harm [...] to [purposefully] complicate his condition, in a bid to leave prison'', Bregadze noted.
Reacting to photographs of Saakashvili published last week by the opposition-minded Formula TV, the official said they had been taken during the examination conducted by invited foreign professionals by the domestic rehabilitation Empathy centre, pointing out the centre should have kept its subsequent health report confidential.
Instead, sections from the report have been deliberately extracted and published to portray the Government as a torturer, as well as Saakashvili's conversation with health professionals as if he had been tortured", the Minister said.
To prevent the spread of "fake information" over former President's health and "exerting pressure" on court to grant his release on medical grounds, Bregadze said his body could be "forced" to publish "certain footage", which "clearly shows" how Saakashvili was refusing to follow doctors' instructions and hindering the court's activities.
The Government has done its utmost to ensure the protection of all the rights of the convicted former President. However, [on his part] we have witnessed disobedience to the orders of law enforcement officials, abuse of [prison] employees, as well as attempts to impede trial hearings when a prosecutor had entered the Vivamedi civilian clinic [to allow his engagement in the process]", Bregadze said.
He noted Saakashvili had been receiving “timely and adequate” medical services at the clinic since May and was restricted from using electronic cigarette for its "overuse and potential damage to his health".
His lawyer has tried to portray the fact as Saakashvili's torture. Just image how correct their [Saakashvili and his entourage] other claims can be", the official said.
Saakashvili has been receiving treatment in the Vivamedi clinic since May 12, after he was moved from the Gori Military Hospital - where he was transferred in late November from the hospital of the Gldani No.18 prison - where he was moved in early November last year from the Rustavi No.12 prison - where he was initially placed.
The third President, currently a citizen of Ukraine, was arrested in Tbilisi in October 2021 on his clandestine return to Georgia ahead of municipal elections. The former Georgian president has been 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.
A trial hearing at Tbilisi City Court on granting Saakashvili the release on medical grounds or postponing the rest of his sentence will be held on Wednesday after being postponed from Friday due to technical issues with ensuring his participation via a video link.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The trial hearing on whether the imprisoned former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili will be granted release or postponement of the rest of his sentence on medical grounds has been delayed from Wednesday to next week.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Wednesday said attempts of “politicised interference” with Georgian justice were “unacceptable”, in his remarks on debates held on Monday in the European Parliament about latest developments around the health and sentence of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili.
The Georgian Justice Ministry on Wednesday said it was being “completely open and transparent” over questions related to imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili, as the latter announced his latest hunger strike and accused the body of violation of his rights of featuring in a trial hearing on granting him release or sentence postponement on medical grounds.
Archil Talakvadze, the Georgian Parliament's Vice Speaker, on Thursday said the entourage of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili “do not care about his health”, alleging their interest in facilitating his escape from justice through a bypassing of the law.
Irakli Kobakhidze, the Chairman of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Thursday accused the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili of “talentless simulation” in his participation in the ongoing trial hearing at Tbilisi City Court on granting release or postponement of the rest of his sentence on medical grounds.
Nikoloz Samkharadze, the Chair of the Georgian Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee, on Thursday said there were “no question marks” regarding the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili in the capitals of Georgia’s partner countries.
People's Power, a public movement established by the former ruling Georgian Dream party MPs who exited the team in June, on Friday criticised the McCain Institute, a Washington-based think tank, for introducing a “fake” claim in its statement about the latest developments around the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Kakha Kaladze, the Mayor of Tbilisi and the Secretary General of the ruling Georgian Dream party, on Monday said it was “categorically unacceptable” to draw parallels between cases involving the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and prospects of Georgia joining the European Union.
Georgia’s Special Investigation Service on Monday said the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and his team had refused to provide samples for analysis by the National Forensics Bureau on traces of alleged presence of poisonous substances in the former official’s body.