Parliament Speaker stresses “important” for imprisoned former President Saakashvili to cooperate with medical staff
Papuashvili also noted the European Court of Human Rights had urged Saakashvili to call off his hunger strike last year, when the imprisoned politician had demanded his transfer from a prison hospital to a private clinic. Photo: Parliament of Georgia
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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.
From my point of view, it is important that the Government does everything for the health of all prisoners, including the health of Mikheil Saakashvili”, the head of the legislative body said.
Papuashvili also noted the European Court of Human Rights had urged Saakashvili to call off his hunger strike last year, when the imprisoned politician had demanded his transfer from a prison hospital to a private clinic.
We remember the judgement of the Strasbourg court - when Mikheil Saakashvili declared a hunger strike, the Strasbourg court gave a direct instruction [to him] to call off the hunger strike. It is important that prisoners cooperate with doctors [and] the penitentiary system”, he concluded.
Georgia’s Justice Minister Rati Bregadze has stressed Saakashvili’s rights are 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.
A Tbilisi City Court hearing on Wednesday will rule if Saakashvili can be granted release or receive a postponement of the rest of his sentence on medical grounds.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia on Wednesday posted footage on social media of the imprisoned former president Mikheil Saakashvili, which shows his condition in different periods at the Vivamedi civilian clinic.
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.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili on Friday responded to a call by the Ukrainian foreign office for Georgian authorities to accept the request for delaying the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili’s sentence for ensuring his medical treatment abroad by saying the former official had committed crimes in Georgia that necessitated his serving of the sentence in the country.
Roman Gotsiridze, a MP for the opposition United National Movement party, on Friday said it would “not be right” for party members to leave their Parliamentary mandates in protest over the latest developments around the health and sentence of the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili.
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.